Ashes to Author: How I Found Writing After Losing Everything

In 2017 a fire destroyed my flat. I lost my home, my belongings, and nearly my life. I woke up in intensive care with serious smoke Inhalation and nowhere to go. I didn’t realise it at the time, but that moment would mark the beginning of a new path.

During my recovery, while still dealing with pain and medication, I picked up a notebook and started writing. Over eleven days, I wrote the first draft of what would become my autobiography, Nightmare in Jamaica. Writing gave me something to focus on. It became a way to process what had happened and to make sense of the chaos.

It took eighteen months to turn that rough draft into a finished book. In August 2019, Nightmare in Jamaica was published. It was never part of a plan, but through the process, I discovered that I had a genuine connection to writing.

Not long after the book came out, I suffered a heart attack and underwent triple bypass surgery. It was another major setback, but while in hospital I made a clear decision—I would keep writing and make it a central part of my life.

I started taking short writing courses at the Chelsea Theatre. They gave me structure and support at a time when I needed both. Eventually, I enrolled at Birkbeck University to study creative writing. Since then, writing has become a key part of who I am.

This journey, which began with loss and trauma, has taught me how powerful storytelling can be. Writing helped me recover, and I hope that by sharing my experiences, I can connect with others going through difficult times.