AustLit logo

AustLit

Johannes Klabbers Johannes Klabbers i(10805885 works by)
Also writes as: i.j. oog
Born: Established: Utrecht,
c
Netherlands,
c
Western Europe, Europe,
;
Gender: Male
Arrived in Australia: 1980
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Works By

Preview all
1 y separately published work icon I Am Here : Stories from a Cancer Ward Johannes Klabbers , Melbourne : Scribe , 2016 24744814 2016 single work autobiography

'What comfort can an agnostic give people who are suffering or dying?

'Looking for more meaning in his work, Johannes Klabbers gave up a tenured academic position to spend his days caring for the sick and dying. He trained as a secular pastoral carer in a cancer hospital, and from the patients there he learned how simply talking and listening can provide comfort: from chatting about the football to discussing life’s meaning and how one prepares for death. 

'I Am Here is a frank, moving, and sometimes funny record of his encounters. It gives an unforgettable insight into the variety of ways people cope with suffering, and suggests how we can support them — through caring, through conversation, and by acknowledging that although we may not be able to answer all of life’s questions, we can face them together. From one of the saddest places comes this powerful affirmation of our capacity for humane care.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

X