Waterside Press is we believe well-known for publishing books by those who overcame disadvantage. They include prisoners who later worked in criminal justice as probation officers, social workers, or with the Ministry of Justice. Such as Bob Turney, I’m Still Standing, Alan Weaver, So You Think You Know Me?, Andi Brierley, Your Honour: Can I Tell You My Story? and Connecting With Young People in Trouble and Justin Rollins, The Lost Boyz and Mental Me. We have also very occasionally encountered those who progressed in the opposite direction ending up on ‘the wrong side of the tracks’ (who we won’t name). In short, our authors and contributors connect to people of all kinds, including to those who have reached the highest of positions. However, we have not before encountered one tenuous connection: to an ex-probation officer who not only became Poet Laureate (and a Professor of Poetry) but helped the Ministry of Justice with its 2025 recruitment drive!
The poem (c) Simon Armitage.
Image of Simon Armitage: “Krankenhaus Day 2 Simon Armitage” by World Economic Forum is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.