Louis de Berniere-Smart; Abuse and adventure; Finding Inspiration in Untold Stories

The Locked up Living Podcast: Surviving and thriving in prisons and other challenging environments

Novelist Louis de Bernières was born into a military family, and flown out to Jordan in a bomber. At the age of eight he was sent to Grenham House in Kent, a prep school run by two headmasters, one of them a paedophile and the other a sadist. He became fluent in Latin. Then he went to Bradfield College in Berkshire where he spent a lot of time fishing, and working for a local farmer when he was supposed to be doing sports. He then spent four months failing to become an army officer at Sandhurst, when what he really wanted to do was grow his hair long and play the guitar. In disgrace, he fled to Colombia where he worked as a tutor on a ranch belonging to an Englishman who also turned out to be a paedophile. He learned to ride western style, use a lasso, and round up cattle.

He came home and studied philosophy at Manchester University, financing it by working as a landscape gardener. Afterwards he worked variously as hospital porter, landscape gardener, mechanic in a bent Morris Minor garage in East London, philosophy tutor, carpenter, motorcycle messenger, and English and Drama teacher in Ipswich. He trained to be a teacher in Leicester, and won a masters with distinction at the Institute of Education in London. He worked with truants in Battersea until his third novel was published and he was earning the same by writing as he had been as a teacher.

Summary Louis de Berniere-Smart discusses his experience of boarding school and the emotional impact it had on him. He shares the harsh realities, including physical abuse, poor living conditions, and emotional bullying. Louis reflects on the emotional detachment and stoicism that he learned as a coping mechanism, as well as the difficulty of forming attachments and relationships later in life. He also discusses his unconventional path after leaving school, including his time in Colombia and his diverse range of jobs. Louis values connecting with people from all walks of life and has a deep interest in understanding others. In this conversation, Louis discusses his diverse work experiences and how they have influenced his writing. He shares stories from his time working in a garage , highlighting the importance of meaningful connections with people. Louis also talks about his experiences as a father and the impact it had on his life. He discusses the process of writing and how it allows him to explore different kinds of love and escape from self-obsession.