Maybe I Don't Belong Here
A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery
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4.5 • 14 Ratings
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
A Book of the Year in The Observer and The Times and winner of the Visionary Honours Award.
'David Harewood writes with rare honesty and fearless self-analysis about his experiences of racism and what ultimately led to his descent into psychosis . . . This book is, in itself, a physical manifestation of that hopeful journey.' - David Olusoga, author of Black and British
This powerful and provocative memoir charts critically acclaimed actor David Harewood’s life from working class Birmingham to the bright lights of Hollywood. He shares insights from his recovery after an experience of psychosis and uncovers devastating family history. Maybe I Don't Belong Here is a groundbreaking account of the impact of everyday racism on Black mental health and a rallying cry to examine the biases that shape our society.
As a young actor, David had a psychotic breakdown and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. He was physically restrained by six police officers, sedated, then hospitalized and transferred to a locked ward. Only now, thirty years later, has he been able to process what he went through.
What caused this breakdown and how did David recover to become a successful actor? How did his experiences growing up contribute to a rupture in his sense of his place in the world? David’s compelling story poses the question: Is it possible to be Black and British and feel welcome and whole?
'One of the best books on mental health, race, Britain and the thrill of acting I have ever read.' – Stephen Fry
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Thirty years ago, David Harewood experienced a psychotic breakdown that forms the basis of this searing autobiography. Now a leading voice in mental-health advocacy, the actor tells his story in sharp, poignant detail, pulling absolutely no punches. Growing up in 1970s’ Birmingham, Harewood can recall harrowing instances of racial abuse that “split his psyche”. Later, in the ’90s, he achieved significant professional accolades (including becoming the first Black actor to play Othello on the stage of the National Theatre), but this period also brought on traumatic fallout. His memoir succeeds in both locating and connecting contributing issues; from stress to marijuana and the crisis of identity that weighed so heavily he almost broke. This empowering book examines mental health in ways that aim to help save more Black men.
Customer Reviews
A must read
An absolutely outstanding book. I have learnt a lot about race and mental health.
Appreciation
Such a valuable insight into what it means to be black. We can utterly condemn overt racism but as white people in a white society, how can we ever truly understand what it feels like to live with it?