One of the fresher faces on Nottingham's publishing scene, Global Wordsmiths have made a name for themselves of late by working with writers from all walks of life. Their latest publication, Defining Moments: Stories from a Place of Recovery, is a collaboration with local addiction support charity Double Impact. We sent our Chloe Campbell down to the launch event for the book to get the low-down on the book, and the remarkable people who have contributed to it.
On Sunday the 18th February, the unmistakable ethos of the launch event for Defining Moments, Global Wordsmiths 15th book, was challenging stigma while celebrating success.
What was to unfold at the extraordinarily touching event ensured those present in the audience could appreciate how perfectly titled the book is. The collection contains a multitude of stories written by individuals who have experienced addiction and substance abuse issues, and this occasion must have marked a very memorable milestone for the now published writers.
Victoria Villasenor, of Global Wordsmiths, warmly welcomed those in attendance, verbalising how the literary-focused social enterprise is dedicated to helping people tell and publish their stories, in their own words. This particular partnership saw Global Wordsmiths partner with Nottingham charity Double Impact, who have been dedicated to helping people in their journey of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction since 1998. Victoria welcomed Graham Miller, Chief Executive Officer (and first staff member) of Double Impact, to give the event’s keynote speech.
After thanking all those present for attending and participating, Graham began by emphasising the important of challenging stigma, and how events and projects such as the Defining Moments book and launch are the perfect spaces to denounce and defy negative perceptions people may have of those who have experienced addiction. As Graham succinctly explained, this event and book recognised powerful journeys and marked truly defining moments in people’s recovery. Graham acknowledged the courage of the contributors, who would be speaking at the event, and whose ‘bravery and honesty should not be underestimated.’
In the spirit of openness and vulnerability, Graham touched upon his own ‘defining moment’ when it came to experiences with addiction. Born into a family of addiction, at age 13 Graham met a ‘deeply caring, intelligent and talented man for the first time, it was my father’ whose newfound sobriety made for a revelation for Graham — that recovery was possible, and within reach for those who have adequate support and resources. This, Graham explained, is what makes Double Impact so vital — the charity provides a ‘package of recovery’, which includes housing support, education, a community of connections. Now, in this unique instance, creative outputs and publishing opportunities can be added to this list, thanks to the work that Global Wordsmith continues to conduct with marginalised and often otherwise unheard groups. It is not just sobriety, but life itself that is an obstacle for those active in addiction, which Double Impact hopes to address by providing intuitive and practical help for those who need it, including a recovery app and digital literacy initiatives to get people ready for career development and independence.
Before welcoming the event’s speakers — authors of the collection’s stories and service users at Double Impact — Graham used the opportunity to commend the extraordinary effort of everyone who was involved, noting that the Defining Moments ‘recognises the amazing, and extremely emotional journeys undertaken by people moving from addition to recovery. It talks about the incredible lengths that people and families go to in realising this recovery. The stories demonstrate a sense of hope, ambition, success and even celebration.’
After touching on the various activities that Double Impact would be undertaking in 2018 to mark its 20th year, Graham prompted us to consider the gravity and immense courage of the contributors in publishing personal stories of addiction in their own name, once again thanking Global Wordsmiths for ‘enabling enabling people to express their journeys for possibly the first time’. The astounding bravery of the writers committing their stories to print and publication was now to be outdone, as each of the contributors would be now find themselves standing up in front of the audience to read extracts from their own stories of addiction.
First reader Gemma F. courageously stepped up as the first reader, reading an extract from her story Chrysalis. The snippet evocatively relayed the juxtaposition between the chaos of parental responsibility and the numbness and claustrophobia of her inner turmoil. This was followed by a reading from CR Woodward and his story The Ritual, which was streaked with biting humour and detailed the temptation present at a music festival. Miranda’s reading of an extract from her story Evolving, unveiled a newly-emerged vulnerability, previously adorned in leather and a facade of rock n roll, which appeared upon her arrival at a treatment centre. Gemma G.’s emotional reading of her story Footsteps Walking With Me detailed a raw and visceral experience regarding her daughter, holding a message of personal responsibility and acceptance. Victoria Villasenor then read from I Am Blessed Indeed, a submission from Washington, USA, which dealt with childhood memories of an alcoholic mother. The final reading, from Last Snapshot in Paris from Dale conjured images of Bastille Day celebrations, coupled with the recent memory of losing a job, home and relationship back home in the UK. In addition to the emotive yet confident readings, each story was beautifully summarised visually, with the digital backdrop showcasing individual, bespoke illustrations from artist Buster Fisher for each tale.
Like Defining Moments itself, this singular event recognised the brave efforts of everyday people who harbour extraordinary resilience.
For more information on Double Impact, and to learn how you can help support the charity, visit their website at https://www.doubleimpact.org.uk/. Defining Moments is available for purchase at the Global Wordsmith website at http://globalwords.co.uk/.
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