Reading the interview with Maggie O’Farrell (Novelist Maggie O’Farrell: ‘Children don’t just need butterflies and rainbows’, 30 November) brought back quite a few painful memories, as I stammered from the age of 11 to about 18. It came suddenly and almost disappeared, but even now, at 79, I have the occasional lapse.
Like Maggie, I had certain letters that I found almost impossible to say – R and W come to mind. The two activities I loathed most were shopping – in a queue, I’d be a bag of nerves waiting for my turn to ask for something – and reading a part in a play in class. I would scan the pages ahead and try to rehearse my part in my head, but when it arrived nothing came out of my mouth.
Despite this affliction, I became a teacher and worked in education industry liaison, which often required me to use the phone, visit schools and give talks to large groups of people.
I have no idea what caused my stammer, but I was interested to hear that Maggie, in a radio interview, thought it could be related to dyslexia. I was a very late reader and still don’t know my left from my right. So there is hope for some of us who stammer.
Bob Dawson
Greenmount, Greater Manchester
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