The void between words: a lifetime of being different

Shame and inadequacy were an intrinsic part of growing up in the 1970s with dyslexia. Self-doubt and high anxiety cast long shadows over a boy with a bright, inquisitive but misunderstood mind. Downtrodden by the hobnail boot of working-class life, he finds solace within nature and discovers the ability to communicate with trees.This inspirational true story follows his turbulent life of illiteracy, social exclusion and workplace bullying. A disfiguring nightclub attack, motorcycle accident and skin cancer only compound the problems brought about by his inherent learning difficulties and resultant lack of confidence.The Void Between Words delves deep into a world where it was easier to escape the pressures of life and internalise his individuality, wallow in the mire of insecurity and become imprisoned without hope. A poignant and often humorous story we discover secrets, rejection, love and loss but ultimately, self-discovery and enlightenment.Powered by an irrepressible need to express his own individuality, his artistic frustration eventually breaks loose of its literary shackles, and he enters into a passionate love affair with words. He eventually finds strength and courage and, to his complete surprise, cannot contain the overwhelming urge to write a novel.The words which once imprisoned him become his greatest gift, and his frustrated creativity is finally set free. With joy and optimism, his new vocation as a writer is to encourage and inspire all those who might feel trapped and worthless as a result of being different.