We’re thrilled to be joined by Manni and Reuben Coe to celebrate the paperback publication of brother. do. you. love. me. Profoundly affecting and powerful, the Coe brothers' joint memoir documents the steady rebuilding of their sibling relationship after Manni takes the struggling Reuben out of his care home and they set up home together in the countryside. Manni and Reuben will be in conversation with Cathy Rentzenbrink.
Shortlisted for The British Book Awards 2023 Non-Fiction Narrative Book of the Year, brother. do. you. love. me. touches on their story of hope and resilience, questions how we care for those we love and draws a moving portrait of the power of brotherly love.
Reuben, aged 38, was living in a home for adults with learning disabilities and struggling to accept that he had Down's syndrome. Depressed and in a fog of anti-depressants, he hadn't spoken for over a year. Increasingly isolated, cut off from everyone and everything he loved, Reuben sent a text message: 'brother. do. you. love. me.'
When Manni received this desperate message from his youngest brother, he knew everything had to change. Together they began an extraordinary journey of repair, rediscovering the depths of their brotherhood, one gradual step at a time
Manni Coe grew up in Yorkshire and Berkshire. He studied Latin American history & culture at Edinburgh University which took him on adventures in South America before he finally settled in Andalucia, Spain. He now lives between Dorset and a tiny town called Archidona. He is the second of four brothers. He works as a private guide in Spain and around the world. brother. do. you. love. me is his first book.
Reuben Coe grew up in Berkshire and is the youngest of four brothers. He completed a B-tech in Drama before settling into life in a care home in Newbury. For seven sun-filled years, he lived in Spain but now Reuben lives in North Dorset. He has a passion for drawing. His art has been used by both Norwich and St Paul’s Cathedral and his range of Christmas cards helped raise funds for the NHS during the pandemic. This is the first time his illustrations have appeared in a book.
Please note: Book and ticket option includes a copy of brother. do. you. love. me. (RRP. £10.99) which will be available for collection on the night.
