Paperback Silverback: A Writer's Manic Highs & Tragic Lows Chasing An Elusive Dream - A Memoir Of Mental Illness & Creativity

by Tadhg Culley

I am a Professional Screenwriter, Published Author and Poet from the UK. So far, I have written ten feature film screenplays, eight TV series scripts, five published books, over two hundred and fifty poems, and many short-form works, delving into documentary, theatre, animation and games. I hold a prestigious Scholarship and am a graduate of both a well-known University and an elite Film School…

To look at that paragraph above, which is featured in many of my works, my books, my blurbs, my writer bios, or my online profiles, it presents a certain neat and tidy image. The tip of an iceberg.

My memoir begins at birth, where I almost died, and ends with my suicide attempt at the age of thirty-one. I am grateful that I survived. Somewhere in the aftermath, an old self perished, along with all past trauma. I went through a rebirth and was finally ready to share that part of my story which I had kept hidden and secret from the world.

My journey covered mental illness, drug & alcohol addiction, prescription medication abuse, suicide, drug overdose, coma recovery, military base life, house repossession, facing homelessness, gang crime, domestic abuse, divorce, and much more

My story is truly one of never giving up...

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2021

Reviews

[RyanAurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredibly captivating stuff. As a new fan of Mr Culley's work, I was intrigued to learn about the author's life journey. I had seen he had written a memoir in his 'Other Written Works' section at the back of his other books that I had read. So I gave this a go. I don't normally read memoirs from non-celebrities (I tend to only read autobiography or biography of famous people to be honest) but this was powerful and I'm glad I read it. It makes me want to read other people's memoirs that I wouldn't normally read... I won't give anything away about this book but it deals with mental illness and creativity... I did think the memoir slipped into some other memories that didn't quite match this theme, and I felt the author may have slipped into autobiography at times. It might have done with a better edit but it did say towards the end of the book that it was rushed. Heavy stuff, dealt with well. It feels like this will help others as much as it seemed to help the author.

[John Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

woah this was a crazy life story sort of informs the back stry of the other books to some degree it was fun and interesting to go on this journey entertained me to say the least and i read it on holiday it flows really fast and you just keep turning pages sometimes i wondered why certain events were in there but i guess thats part of it life is messy

[Sulamith Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest and insightful glimpse into the mind of a young writer who is brave enough to seek and explain the causes of his devastating bouts of mental illness.
He discusses traumatic events throughout his life from birth to present day only now recognising how they have affected his mental. I feel that this book would be a valuable asset to any self help or discussion group dealing with these painful issues. A great read.

[Bearded Bard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely recommended.

[Emily Sushana Culley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Another brave move from this talented writer. Having read Tadhg Culley’s poetry I was intrigued to read this memoire with the hope of understanding more about this fascinating writer. I enjoy reading his books because they flow so well and are easy to digest. I shed a few tears but found it inspiring how this man has managed to deal with many traumatic experiences in life (which are quite harrowing) and include them in this memoire with an aim to help others who may be experiencing/ have experienced similar trauma. I admire anyone who shares their struggles with mental health so that others might feel less alone in their own difficult battle. I believe that this book would be great for any self help groups - especially for men battling depression. Sadly mental health issues still seem to be a stigma in this lonely world