A Captured Imagination

2011 was the year local author Glen Cooper was given the opportunity to write and have published his own book of words. United Press Ltd gave him the chance after he had contributed to over 30 of their publications.

The author says: “My very own book ‘A Captured Imagination’ is a tiny glimpse of some of things that have passed through my life but more importantly, much more importantly; it is an opportunity to give something to a wonderful charity. St Peter’s Hospice is one of the best. I can’t claim that I’ve given 14 years of my life to the cause like my partner has. I can’t claim that I’ve lost my sole mate to that terrible word but I can claim that I am moved by their work and sterling efforts in difficult circumstances.”

Glen currently works as a Train Manager on the high speed trains that run out of Temple Meads station. His partner Christina is a staff nurse for the National Blood Service and it was her idea that Glen should publish a book in aid of St Peter’s Hospice.

Christina has been volunteering for St Peter’s for 14 years. She lost her husband to cancer and the local charity shop was extremely helpful.

Glen says: “They got her out of her shell and got her back in the land of the living. She has never forgotten their generosity and friendliness. One minute she was just looking around browsing and the next they had making the teas and coffees and the day after sat at the till.”

When Glen’s daughters were growing up they wanted to be famous actresses or film stars and he had to keep reminding them that any minor success was a great achievement in itself; staring in a school play, playing the chorus in a local amateur dramatic, or singing karaoke in your local, are all memories and minor success stories.

For Glen, after years of struggling with a whole hatful of words which were no better than poor couplets, writing about too many sad experiences with personal agony and nothing of major significance, suddenly, for whatever reason, something finally clicked.

A few years ago, Glen entered a local poetry competition with a poem built around two simple words ‘paella’ and ‘forever’, which had been laying around in the bottom of that hat for so long they’d almost faded. ‘Paella Forever’ told the story of a boy and a girl sat in a bar overlooking the sea, somewhere hot, sharing a bottle of wine, a large bowl of paella and more importantly that special moment. To him that paella moment would last forever. For her, it was just a mixed bowl of fish and rice. They later parted company but the sentiment never died.

Glen continues: ‘For some reason the publishers liked it and I’ve never looked back. That was all the success I needed. My confidence grew. I stopped trying to write what others wanted me to say and I stopped feeling sorry for myself. I just let that energy trapped for so long, flow.’

Glen explains further: ‘Because being able to throw a few words at a piece of paper and create a poem is no different to throwing a few paints at a canvas and creating a painting. It’s all art and something you should feel proud of. Hopefully someone will like it. It may even inspire someone else into doing something of their own or it just might change the world! Who knows? You’ll never know until you feed that creative bug and let it gorge on your imagination.’

Ordering a copy

If you would like to order a copy please contact Glen Cooper on 01454 854 761 or email
cooperglen_971@fsmail.net or contact the fundraising office on 0117 9159330.