Synopsis
Now a major BBC drama, Waiting for the Out.
A unique insight into survival behind bars, inherited shame and some of life’s most pressing questions.
An Irish Times and The i Book of the Year
'Tense and intimate . . . an education' – Geoff Dyer
'Authentic, fascinating and deeply moving' – Terry Waite
Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons. Every time he steps behind bars, he also confronts his inherited shame: his father, uncle and brother all spent time inside. While Andy has built a different life for himself, he still fears that their fate will also be his.
Every day he has conversations with prisoners about their lives. Together they tackle the big questions: Can someone in prison be more free than someone outside? Would we ever be good if we never felt shame? What makes a person worthy of forgiveness?
As he discusses pressing questions of truth, identity and hope with his students, Andy searches for his own form of freedom too.
Now a six-part BBC drama, 'Waiting for the Out', The Life Inside is an elegantly written and unforgettable memoir, offering a new insight into our stretched justice system, our failing prisons and the complex lives being lived inside.
'Inspiring' – The Observer
'Enriching, sobering and at times heartrending' - Lenny Henry
'A remarkable insight into prison life' – Amanda Brown
'Expands both heart and mind' – Ciaran Thapar
'A fascinating and enlightening journey . . . A legitimate page-turner' – 3:AM Magazine
Details
Reviews
“By turns enriching, sobering and at times, heartrending. A tale centering on our inner critic or executioner and how to stifle its constant sniping. A wonder.”Sir Lenny Henry
“Written with sensitivity and humanity... a remarkable insight into prison life”Amanda Brown, author of The Prison Doctor
“West powerfully interweaves an account of teaching philosophy in prison with his own family’s history of imprisonment, creating an intellectually thrilling memoir of freedom and constraint. ”Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, author of The Fact of a Body
“Weaving philosophical questions about free will, forgiveness, guilt and shame, with family history and the realities of incarceration. Beautifully written – honest, painful, absurd and sometimes joyful.”Caitlin Davies, author of Queens of the Underworld
