Sophie Andrews Logo - writer personal page

Scarred book cover - Ones girls triumph over shocking abuse and self-harm

Sophie Andrews - Author

Thanks for your interest and for logging into my site. I hope you enjoy your visit. If you want to contact me and give me feedback about the site or ask me any questions in relation to my book or speaking events, please contact me and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Biography

I wrote the book “Scarred” for me – by that I mean it was a series of diaries, letters and poems that I had written and received that inspired me to pull it together into a book where I could tell the story of my life. It was a cathartic experience and part of the process that has helped me to come to terms with the past. A friend encouraged me to send the first chapter of the manuscript to a literary critique service and much to my surprise the feedback was positive and I was encouraged to find an agent. I was signed by the first agent that I approached and then offered a book deal by the first publisher we met with. I was delighted that Hodder & Stoughton thought my work was good enough to publish and have been swept along ever since with the momentum of having a book published. If my words do help others to understand self harm a little better and help people who are still harming to find other ways to cope then this will all be worthwhile.
I am now 38 years old and after moving from London now live in the North West of England. I currently work as an Assistant Director of a charitable association that helps vulnerable adults and young people. In addition I am now a volunteer for Samaritans and after being Director of my local branch was asked to take on the role of Regional Representative - this means I now support the 19 Samaritan branches in the North West. It is a small way of repaying the organisation back that helped me so much as a child. In my spare time I enjoy writing, reading and foreign travel. I would be happy to answer any questions or queries if you wish to get in touch.

My Book - 'Scarred'

Title: Scarred: How One Girl Triumphed Over Shocking Abuse and Self-harm
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Language English
ISBN-10: 0340937351
ISBN-13: 978-0340937358
Price: £12.99 (hardback), £5.99 (paperback)

Paperback edition of 'Scarred'

The paperback version of my book is published on 22nd January 2009 and will be priced £5.99

Synopsis

Growing up, Sophie carried a terrible secret. She was her father's slave, in the most horrific ways imaginable. At just a few months old she was adopted by a couple that seemed comfortably off and perfectly respectable to the outside world. But behind closed doors, Sophie's childhood was a living hell. Her father spent the next decade grooming her for abuse and when Sophie's mother left for good, that very night, he told Sophie that from now on, she would sleep in his bed. Unable to cope, Sophie spiralled into suicidal misery. She began to self-harm to try and escape the agony. But one day she went too far and at 16, ended up in a psychiatric unit. It was here that she finally confronted the horrors of home and began the painful journey of rebuilding her life. A phenomenally courageous woman, Sophie now works for the Samaritans and helps other young people in need. Harrowing yet compelling, this is a searing and truly inspirational account of overcoming the worst abuse and self-harm.

Links

If you wish to order my book in advance, most bookshops will be able to arrange a pre order if you provide the ISBN number In addition the following websites are available for pre-orders and delivery:

Amazon
WH Smiths
Waterstones
My publishers Hodder & Stoughton

There are now many organisations that have been set up to help people who had the same experiences as I did. The following list is just a few organisations which you may find helpful:

Samaritans is an organization that is close to my heart and provides confidential support, 24 hours a day for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide. Contact can be made via telephone, letter, face to face and email.
http://www.samaritans.org/
NSPCC whose aim is to see a society where all children are loved, valued and able to fulfil their potential.
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/
MIND whose aim is to support those individuals who have experienced mental and emotional distress.
http://www.mind.org.uk/
National Children’s Bureau who have a site dedicated to supporting those who self harm and their families.
http://www.selfharm.org.uk/
For further details regarding self harm the following document makes an interesting read:
http://www.selfharmuk.org/docs/The_truth_about_self_harm.pdf

Events

Book launch

I have been fortunate to have a lot of positive publicity relating to the launch of my book, both on radio and in the newspapers. Attached are a few links to some of the interviews that are still available online.

I have recently filmed for a BBC documentary which is due out in Spring 2009. It is presented by the actress Meera Syal and features the issues surrounding self harm. Meera is keen to raise awareness of self harm and to dispel some of the myths that are associated with it. I was very pleased to be asked to be involved.

I have also appeared on the BBC Radio Lancashire programme "Ladies at Lunch" on several occasions and will be back again on the show at the beginning of April 2009.

Speaker bookings

I have been very busy speaking at events up and down the country and have tried to raise awareness of the issues surrounding both self harm and abuse. Here are some examples of the testimonials that I have received:

"We as a group thoroughly enjoyed and were intrigued by Sophie's story. She was very professional and informative, it was lovely to see and hear about a real life success story." - MET POLICE, NOV 08

”Feel privileged to be allowed to enter into a first hand account description of such a harrowing experience – insightful and thought provoking.” – SAMARITAN NATIONAL CONFERENCE, SEPT 08

As well as motivational speaking I also now work with health service professionals to offer advice and training. Please contact me on the details below if you wish to discuss your needs further and to see if I can help your organisation in any way.

Contact me

You can get in touch by emailing me.

I receive a large number of emails every day and will do my best to answer you as soon as I can. If you are contacting me regarding training packages for your organisation please mark this clearly in the subject line on your email.

If you are interested in booking me for motivational speaking events then please contact me via

Abingdon Management & Consulting Ltd.
http://www.abingdonmanagement.co.uk/
Tel: 0208 939 9019 Fax: 0208 939 9080