The First Published Children’s Book by Peter Bullimore
Suitable for ages 4-12 Years
About the Author
I have heard voices for many years, leading me to receive a diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia. I spent a decade in psychiatric services where no-one paid any attention to the content of my voices. The voices were always critical and abusive and never gave me any peace. Through the support of a very good occupational therapist Sally Bramley and the Hearing Voices Network I started to gain more insight into the voices and the meaning behind them. Though they still talked to me in a very critical and angry way, I understood what they were trying to tell me. I learned to look beyond the metaphor. Although it was still difficult to function with up to 40 voices at a time, my life started to have more meaning, this enabled me to start teaching professionals and other people the true meaning behind hearing voices.
A Village Called Pumpkin
This book was written in association with my voices, without their influence I would never have had the ideas and creativity to create the characters and storylines. Whilst writing the book the characters would speak to me and ask what role they would be playing. Whilst writing one chapter I put in too many characters and it was like a film set all talking to me demanding a speaking part, even up to the point the vet in one of the chapters refused to carry out his duties until I gave him a line. I would often say out loud “no you cannot have another line “my partner Linda would look across the room and smile as she knew I was talking to the characters