I grew up around noise, chaos and trouble. Later I ended up in prison, then I found myself travelling all over, then somehow at university studying writing. Through all of it, books stayed with me. They kept me steady when nothing else could.
Reading in Prison
Prison is a hard place to keep your head straight. You feel boxed in. The days drag. I picked up books because there was nothing else that made sense. I sat on the bunk and read until the walls felt lighter. Virginia Woolf once said read a thousand books and the words will flow. I took that to heart. Every book gave me something. A bit of calm. A bit of fight. A bit of hope.
Reading on the Move
When I got out, I travelled a lot. Work. Life. Trying to figure myself out. I read wherever I went. Airports. Coaches. Little corner cafés where no one knew me. I keep the Kindle app on my phone so I can grab any book I want. Kindle Unlimited helps because I can download anything the moment I think of it. Memoirs. History. Crime. Random things I didn’t know I needed. Reading makes the world feel bigger, even when you’re stuck in one spot.
Reading at University
Now I’m studying creative writing. Feels strange sometimes, coming from where I came from, but the books carried me here. Everything I write now is shaped by what I’ve read. I don’t force the words anymore. They come because I’ve soaked up so many voices, styles and stories. Books taught me how to listen. How to tell the truth on the page.
Why I Still Read Every Day
Reading gives me knowledge I can use.
It helps me understand people better.
It sharpens my writing without me noticing.
It gives me ideas when I think I’ve run dry.
Keeping the Words Alive
I read because it keeps me grounded. A prison memoir reminds me of the past. A travel book gives me somewhere new to go. A novel gives me a spark for my own stories. Every book adds something to me. It keeps the words flowing. It keeps me moving forward.
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