I feel extremely blessed and grateful to have survived to the point where I can relate my story, a story which I hope will invigorate and motivate others who find themselves in circumstances similar to those of my own former life.    

I cannot imagine who, what, or where I would be today if my life had run a more traditional course. I am a musician, a traveller, a reader, a writer, a public speaker, a criminologist, a Jack of all trades, and a bon vivant.

 

 During my prison years I read more books than most ever could in a lifetime. This was a mechanism for retaining my sanity, certainly, but it was also a passion which broadened my outlook. I read books ranging Hugo's 'Les Miserables', Dumas' 'The Count of Monte Cristo', and Charriere's 'Papillon' - these three for obvious reasons. I read the whole King James Bible in a mere 28 days due to a spell in solitary confinement followed by Tolstoy's 'War and Peace', and Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment'. I read Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings', Mitchell's 'Gone with the Wind', and hundreds of text books covering a multitude of subjects. I read and I read, and I learned. I eventually learned enough to be accepted for the study of a Masters degree in criminology at Cambridge University's Institute of Criminology which I completed with a respectable mark. 

 

 My musical tastes range from my favourite saxophonist, Lester Young, to St. Petersburg's controversial band, 'Leningrad'. I'm a huge fan of Serbia's 'Goran Bregovic', and Romania's 'Fanfare Ciocarlia'. I love 'Elgar', 'Satie', and  'Arvo Part'. And I probably listen to more of Poland's superb film score composer, 'Zbigniew Preisner', than anything else. 

 

 Historical characters who have inspired me the most range from Ernest Shackleton to Ghandi, and Oliver Cromwell to Napoleon Bonaparte.

 

 Contemporary figures who inspire me would include, first and foremost, Dr. Gabor Maté, who's work around childhood trauma, addiction, and rehabilitation is so relevant to my own experience; and Drs. Ruth Armstrong and Amy Ludlow for their work on the 'Learning Together' programme at Cambridge University's Institute of Criminology - my alma mater.

 

 

 I gave a TEDx talk in Cambridge shortly after completing my Master's degree and was due to give another at a bigger event in March 2020 when the coronavirus hit and all major events were cancelled. Right now, I feel content to be where I am and am looking forward to helping others in their own respective journeys again once I am able.

 

See below for a couple of links to websites which are very relevant to my journey.