A Bit of a Stretch: the Diaries of a Prisoner
- This event has passed.
Chris Atkins
Where can a tin of tuna buy you clean clothes? Where is it easier to get ‘spice’ than paracetamol? Where does self-harm barely raise an eyebrow? Welcome to Her Majesty’s Prison Service. Like most people, documentary-maker Chris Atkins didn’t spend much time thinking about prisons. But after becoming embroiled in a dodgy scheme to fund his latest film, he was sent down for five years. His new home would be HMP Wandsworth, one of the largest and most dysfunctional prisons in Europe.
With a cast of characters ranging from wily drug dealers to senior officials bent on endless reform, this powerful memoir uncovers the horrifying reality behind the locked gates. Chris shares his shocking and darkly funny account of the reality of Britain’s prisons.
“An incredibly compelling account, not just because of Atkin’s incongruity and his knack for black, observational humour, but because it lays bare a system that has become utterly dysfunctional. Atkins is thrust into the heart of Britain’s prison crisis and can never quite believe what he is seeing. It’s a sort of Kafkaesque haplessness. A bleak catalogue of absurdity.” The Times
Other events on the 9th October 2021
-
The Fallen Angel
Tracy Borman
The Fallen Angel is the highly anticipated final instalment of best selling author, historian and broadcaster Tracy Borman‘s King’s Witch trilogy. It follows the continuing fortunes of Frances Georges, a noblewoman...
-
Isle and Empires: Romanov Russia, Britain and the Isle of Wight
Stephan Roman
Stephan Roman CMG is interviewed by Peter Harrigan on his captivating new book Isle and Empires: Romanov Russia, Britain and the Isle of Wight. Isle and Empires conjures up the...
-
Dick Carter Yacht Designer: In the Golden Age of Offshore Racing
Dick Carter
Dick Carter talking with Matthew Sheahan will recount how, with no formal training, he turned his hand to yacht design and won the 1965 Fastnet Race in his first...
-
The Devil You Know
Dr Gwen Adshead
Dr Gwen Adshead, one of Britain’s leading forensic psychiatrists, shares stories of radical empathy that give profound insights into ideas of evil and the life of the mind. Serial...
-
Write on Wight: The Bank Robber’s Daughter
Steve Love
Steve Love will be talking about the motives for his book; how he constructed the story; and how he went about publishing. He says “My motivation was the financial...
-
Write on Wight: Beyond the Title
Josh Barry
In this session, Josh Barry will reflect upon the writing process and provide insight into how he went about securing interviews with some of the most well known faces...
-
Write on Wight: Grandpa’s Dear Old Girl
Felicity Fair Thompson
It’s interesting, she thinks, how moments in life lead to creativity. Felicity Fair Thompson writes films, plays, poetry, novels, and stories for children. Her early dancing career inspired her...
