reflections on my writing course
There I was, sitting on the floor of my prison cell, in Barbados’ infamous
prison Glendairy - looking up at the rising moon coming through the bars, as it
did, round that time of the month. Lights would be out in a few minutes, but not
before I happened to see an advert for a writing school in one of the local newspapers
that sometimes happened to come round my way.
This advert seemed to light up, and I found myself memorising the name and address
of this school - it was The Writer’s Bureau School of Journalism.
I must have been functioning from some deep-set sense of intuition, because I
started memorising this address, running it back and forward across my mind as
a thing for me to check out when I finally got out. Luckily for me, as things
were getting very tense in the prison and - as it turned out - soon exploded into
a full scale riot and prison burning - one that tore the island apart and ignited
uprisings in many other surrounding Caribbean and south American countries.
The riot exploded in a melee of torture, murders, shootings as the gangs took
over and subjugated the rest of us to a reign of beatings and terror. Each night
I would go to sleep, running the name and address of the Writer’s Bureau
over and over again in my mind………
…….The Writer’s Bureau, Seven, Dale St., Manchester, M.1.
Like a mantra. Nobody else knew anything about this… but like a crazy person
I was determined to remember this address so as to get the training I knew I was
going to need to bring this story - and others - to light.
When the soldiers came to take us away, individually we were each handcuffed,
naked, with our hands behind our backs we were led onto overcrowded busses which
then careered through the night, accompanied by screaming sirens and a multitude
of flashing lights. Yet still I kept reciting the name and address of The Writer’s
Bureau, knowing I had a real story to tell, but that I would need help through
training and guidance in being able to tell it.
As my release date loomed over the horizon, eventually the British embassy materialised
and, armed with a passport and a ticket back to the UK, I boarded the plane. As
I was led out of the prison, I promised my friends there that I would carry news
of the beatings, torture, lack of medicine and lack of food to the outside world.
When I arrived back in London, I wrote to the Writer’s Bureau and started
on my training. I found it very difficult to stick to the discipline of the course,
being a naturally rebellious old pirate, but after a number of heated letters,
e mails and phone calls with staff members I managed to find within myself the
patience and self control to get my story together to do the actual business of
writing.
Particularly annoying I found was my tutor’s insistence that I write in
double space lines, and with an adequate margin on either side - but it is small
points such as this, so I have discovered, that are really important in the world
of professional journalism.
With my tutor’s guidance I was able to get the story together and place
it on a foreign prisoners/ human rights website - www.foreignprisoners.com.
About a fortnight later I received a phone call from a friend asking me if it
was me whose name she had found whilst doing a Google search of my name - i.e.
re a story concerning the Glendairy prison riot. When I looked at the place where
she had seen it, there it was - my account, complete with a number of photos of
the riot and prison burning!
Imagine my amazement when, shortly after this, I was contacted by a publisher
- Maverick House - who were offering me a Contract to publish a book on the event,
and also my life experiences.
Although living in a squat, I was able to write the book in an internet café,
and gradually the chapters evolved into a complete life story, most of which was
eventually incorporated into the book.
I found it incredibly cathartic to go back to so many early life experiences and
often the emotions would overwhelm me, making me gasp for breath in front of the
computer screen, as around me the police sirens screamed past, babies cried, and
people argued in native Somali! Yet, given my own individual life style, in a
way it was the perfect background music – a wonderfully sympathetic background
that echoed many of the stories I found myself relating .
I felt incredibly privileged, not just to review my life, but also to ‘put
my side of the story‘ to the world, and wondered if my book would someday
be read by someone in the far distant future, down in the British Museum Library
perhaps, looking for insights into life in Britain round about the turn of the
20th/ 21st centuries!!
I felt honoured to even think of something I might write sitting in the same place
as the Domesday Book, ancient illuminated Bibles, and the original works of so
many renowned authors throughout history. In a small way, was I making my mark
on history?
Imagine how I felt when - upon publication - I saw that the publishers had even
put my photograph on the front cover. It was with gratitude that I was able to
ring up Diana Nadin of the Writer’s Bureau, and thank her for her patience
and all that she had done to help me get to that point, and send her a copy of
the book, ‘Hell in Barbados’, which she promised to read as she was
just then about to go on holiday.
I have since received many letters and e mails from people thanking me for bringing
the attention of the international community on to the many dark things which
went on in Barbados’ prison prior to the riot, and which contributed to
the troubles there. In Barbados the government - possibly in a reaction to some
of the pressure which the book’s publication may have contributed to - have
since held a Commission of Enquiry into these events - and as a result many prison
officers, including the Deputy Superintendent - have since resigned or been sacked.
Other people have said in their messages the book has helped them get off drugs
and away from addiction
The course I did has given me a kind of compass - or road map, if you like - in
which I am now able to map out what I am going to write about, and more or less
stick to that - instead of getting too sidetracked by details.
Since then, I have been able to join the Society of Authors, and thereby the British
Library, which is very handy for research purposes. With a covering letter from
Diana Nadin, I have also been able to join the National Union of Journalists,
and am currently working with several senior level journalists, mainly in the
field of crime/ human rights reporting. I have also been recently accepted into
Mensa, and am now a member of both their Professional and Creative Writer’s
Special Interest Groups
I was paid £3,000 advance by the publishers, and as the book is now going
into its second reprint am likely to be receiving a regular royalty. On the advice
from the Writer’s Bureau I held back on just handing over the rights to
the publishers re any possible film, something which may now be quite opportune
- as there is apparently a film company now in negotiation with the publishers!
Should a film ever transpire, I might even get back into the black, as it were!
But for me there are many kinds of wealth. One is the satisfaction of knowing
that at last my life has meaning and purpose, and that I have the knowledge and
skill to act as a voice for some of those people out there who cannot speak up
for themselves, or so readily find an audience that will listen. Another aspect
is that I can much more easily get things off my chest, instead of being pulled
apart by negative emotions.
But you have to do the work, and you have to stay focused, and motivated. But
then again, so I have found, this applies in any aspect of life.
I would truly like to say thank you to The Writer’s Bureau for helping me
‘put it all together’ as a person, and as a writer!
Terry Donaldson's book "
Hell in Barbados"
is now out (Maverick House, £7.99).
