Well, why? That’s a good question. I’m going to attempt to answer that.

First things first, yes, it’s called Porridge: a book that was entirely out of my comfort zone. One, because I had never written a full novel before, and two, because of what it represents. The thing that makes Porridge difficult to describe is the fact it’s neither fiction nor non-fiction. Yet, also… both?

The story and characters are fictional, however, I wrote Porridge by deconstructing the real encounters of those close to me (as well as my own), scattering those pieces, slightly altering them, and then finally reweaving them into a fictional tale with fictional characters. It’s not just a story ‘based on true events’ because I’m not documenting one specific thing, nor am I straying too far from the real events to create a dramatised version (trust me… there was enough drama). The book is inspired by those encounters, but its specific purpose was to combine the stories of multiple individuals – loved ones, those I met during terrible times – and take all of those unique encounters to create one new story. It’s like everyone is sharing a few pieces of personalised yarn, those pieces get altered, and then they all get woven into a blanket. Or rug. Or whatever you want to weave. Almost every main event in Porridge can be linked back to someone else’s genuine experience, as well as the small details within the book some may overlook, even though it didn’t happen exactly how or when the story incorporates it.

‘Loom Fiction’ is what I feel is right to call it. ‘Loom’ because the story is quite literally weaving together the real encounters into its new form, the story Porridge, but ‘Fiction’ because the tale as a whole is still a fictional one.

Porridge was written to honour those I admired and their experiences because they were silenced and shamed for their stories, including my own. And often, they were plagued by the sense of being hidden, lost and overlooked. I wanted to show them I saw those pains and believed their stories (often being there myself or going through similar) by creating one where they would notice those ‘threads’ of themselves within it. It’s like the book is a personalised hide-and-seek. The most special thing about Porridge is you would have to intimately know a party to find where a specific part of them has been hidden within the story, and often, what specific part has been combined with someone else’s, or what is entirely fictional. So, Porridge is kind of like a treasure hunt for those I care for, those I’ve met and deeply admire, as well as for myself. Porridge will hopefully also be a signal, to see if it can find someone else out there who will see reflections of themselves within it, so they don’t feel so alone in their experiences.

Porridge is also where my sarcastic arse could finally find an outlet. Lol.

But what Porridge is not is a documentation or word-for-word retelling, nor is it untrue. Porridge is, I guess, its own strange little thing that just wants to be, so I best not disturb it and let it do its thing. And if you decide to buy the e-book and read the actual story, maybe try and see if you can find yourself within the pages. After all, it was written to help the hidden feel a little bit more seen.

Download your copy by following this link