A 20-metre fall while mountaineering left the academic and philosopher with life-changing injuries. In this extract from his diary, his clear-eyed willingness to confront his situation leads to some breathtakingly honest reflections

Paul Sagar, 37, is reader in political theory in the department of political economy at King’s College London. He studied at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford and London and in 2020 received the British and Irish Association for Political Thought early career award for excellence in research and teaching. A once passionate rock climber, he suffered a catastrophic accident last year while climbing in Scotland. The accident left him tetraplegic, paralysed from the collarbones down, with only residual use of his hands. After eight months in hospital, he resumed academic work in early 2024, continuing physical rehabilitation and attempting to adjust to life with severe disability. This is an extract from his diary of the past 16 months.