The podcast discusses Sally's upbringing in a slum area, her memories of her granny and Mum, and the event that changed their lives involving her baby brother David.
The speaker's early experiences with words and writing, including the significance of sensory details and the impact of her brother's disappearance on her upbringing.
The transformative power of reading in the speaker's life, her grandmother's role in fostering her love for books, and the escapism and wonder reading provided.
Deep dives
The Power of Words and Childhood Memories
From an early age, the speaker begins to understand that words have a tangible existence and can evoke emotions. She recalls her childhood filled with strong cotton, her first character, and the feeling of her brother's presence. The repetition and imagery of pink, heat, and cheek in her writing serve as a bridge to nostalgic memories in her garden, shaped by her mother's meticulous care of flowers and an event that greatly impacted her early years.
The Influence of Books and Reading
Reading became the speaker's religion at a young age as she devoured five books a week from the local library. She reminisces about her grandmother, her guiding force in her early reading journey, and recalls bringing her grandmother a tin of words at the age of five. Reading allowed her to escape and cross into other worlds, making her feel enchanted and eager to learn new words and sounds.
The Impact of Loss and Mother's Absence
The speaker reveals a significant event in her life where her baby brother, David, went missing, and her mother fell into a deep, prolonged slumber. This tragic event and her mother's absence left a lasting impact on her childhood, shaping her perception of safety and security. The mention of David's birthday, coincidentally occurring during the podcast recording, highlights the weight of anniversaries and unconscious remembrance of loved ones.
Sally starts by telling us the tale of the Boiler That Went Bang in the Night, and the Bird That Never Was. She’s preparing a zoom class for some schoolchildren which draws on her first book of memoirs – or anti-memoirs, as she prefers to call them – called Girl With Dove. Sally pulls out the book's manuscript and we hear about her upbringing in a slum area on the south coast, and her earliest memories of her granny and Mum, growing roses on a scrubby patch of land. She tells us about her baby brother David, and what happened to him; an event which changed all their lives.
Further Reading
There’s only one book referred to in this week’s episode – Sally’s own book, Girl With Dove. You can find out more about it here:
The extra voice in this episode is Emma Fielding. A number of the music tracks were composed and performed by Simon Turner.
We have been able to launch and continue to run this podcast thanks to the kind help of donors, to whom we are profoundly grateful. Any new listeners who might be willing to support us, please do visit our crowd-funding site - https://gofund.me/d5bef397
Thanks to everyone who has supported us so far. Special thanks go to Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.
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