Bournemouth ex-teacher’s dark school days inspire hit book
Added: (Thu May 12 2022)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
A retired headteacher from Bournemouth has used disturbing episodes from his own time in the classroom to craft a memorable debut novel.
Paul Akhurst taught at special schools across London, and for a therapeutic childcare organisation in the south of England, during a long career in education.
And he also experienced both the best and the worst aspects of society’s treatment of the most vulnerable.
The 73-year-old has now published his debut novel which he describes as being heavily influenced by some of the cruelty and abuse he came across.
Shades of Joy has already reached the top ten in Amazon’s charts as well as attracting a string of positive feedback reviews from education professionals.
Paul said: “The two key components of the story relate to events that took place shortly after I moved to a special school in South London in the late ‘70s/ early ‘80s.
“The four part dream sequence and the playground accident that occurred later that same day actually happened exactly as is written.
“I was deputy headteacher in a special school when the historical abuse of a young boy was uncovered.
“The perpetrator, a care home manager, was subsequently convicted in a high profile case in the 1980s.”
Shades of Joy is a deeply moving and thought-provoking story about the sexual abuse of a young boy in the care system.
Paul’s masterful storytelling explores the psychological, social and educational issues surrounding the victims of abuse.
And how, trapped by a sense of guilt for the abuse they have suffered, they will often resort to increasingly desperate measures to stop their secrets being exposed.
Paul added: “Shades of Joy is about how the sexual abuse of a young boy, whilst in care, is gradually uncovered as its effects start to exert an influence on his behaviour.
“Over a two week period, he becomes increasingly anxious; fearing that he is losing self-control, that his mother is dying and that telling lies is the only way to stop being put back in the children’s home.
“But the only chance he has to achieve the safety and security he seeks is to reveal his own shame.”
Shades of Joy has been described as ‘an important story’, ‘highly original’ and ‘accurate’ by fellow teachers.
After graduating from Loughborough and Nottingham universities, Paul taught at Tower Hamlets and Lambeth before becoming headteacher of a day school for emotionally disturbed children.
He went on to become an educational liaison officer in the capital, an educational services manager for a childcare organisation in Kent and an independent Education Consultant/Trainer prior to retirement.
For more details, visit Amazon and search for Paul Akhurst, where the paperback and Kindle formats of Shades of Joy are both available.
Notes to the editor
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