At the age of fifteen Melanie Davies was involved in a motorcycle accident that left her paralysed from the chest down. However, against all odds, she has also won medals in athletics for her country, raised thousands of pounds for charity and set up her own rehabilitation charity. With co-author Lynne Barrett-Lee, Melanie wrote her story and posted it onto authonomy last year. Never Say Die is published by Harper True on 26th November 2009.
Deciding to write your life-story is one thing, doing it another. How much do I say? Questions rained. Everything about the way I live my life as a paraplegic is so personal. But if left to others’ overactive imaginations, then what’s the point? So out it all came and with every cringe came a strange feeling of relief; with every new situation addressed, Mike and I talking about things that may otherwise never have been said, it drew us unbelievably closer, becoming a cathartic experience for us both. Sharing intimate moments of our lives, we laughed and cried and held each other. We discussed the emerging account with our families and close friends, our recollections of the events and their recollections of their responses. All were extremely encouraging and eager to read more.
It was therefore extremely odd that, on finishing the book, staring at the words, “The End” instead of a feeling of achievement, I felt a sense of loss. Every day it had been there to do and then suddenly nothing – like being on an exciting adventure that was now over and leaving me with nowhere to go but back to the here and now.
This was soon replaced by anxious worry about the ultimate happening, “Never Say Die” being picked up by a publisher. Our agent was unfailingly positive and he was right to be so. You fantasise about one of the largest, most successful and renowned publishing houses in the world making an offer and then tell yourself, “Dream on.”
Lynne’s telephone call on 22nd December 2008 is one I will never forget, even if most of it was unintelligible because of her excitement. What was clear through the high-pitched delivery was that Harper Collins wanted it. I was stunned and elated – this was the best Christmas present ever. The atmosphere buzzed and the book dominated the festivities; there was only one thing for it – we threw a huge party at the house. There was much to look forward to: meeting the team, the people who had read it and felt it worthy to inflict on the world.
But my book was like a child to me, my baby, and I was now going to have to entrust it to the safekeeping of strangers. I needn’t have worried; on meeting Carole and Kate it was obvious that they too cared for the story.
There was much work too which had to be done before the manuscript grew into the sort of book we would see on the shelves. Some of it was to be entrusted to publishing professionals – further proof-reading and editing and the composition of a ‘blurb’ for the cover. We were nevertheless involved in all of this and we had enormous fun, soul-searching and several tooth-curling moments selecting photographs for the plate section. And for the cover, perhaps the most challenging task of the lot: how do you sum up three decades with one image?
It’s almost all done, almost but not quite. A few final tweaks then we have the anticipation of publication day. My first book – it really is an achievement! – and why should it be my last?
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