175. David Shipley: Being posh in prison

I’m David Shipley. I’ve sold fork lift trucks, been a recruiter, worked in corporate finance and produced a film. I also committed a fraud in 2014, which I was jailed for in 2020.

The prison system I saw horrified me. It is neglectful, cruel and seems almost designed to maximise reoffending. In August 2021 I was released, determined to make a difference.  Now, I write, campaign and speak on prison reform. I work as a consultant prison inspector, and I’m always happy to talk, mentor, or write about those experiences. 

During my time inside I wrote a journal every day. This outlet helped my mental health, in particular during lockdown when I was confined to my cell for almost 24 hours a day.  

I then heard about the Koestler Prize and entered works in 2020 and 2021. I was delighted to be awarded prizes in both years and this spurred me to take my writing more seriously.

In January 2021, while still in prison, I began an MA in Creative Writing with the University of Hull, which has encouraged me to write fiction, with a bias towards historical and fantasy genres.