Stuart: A Life Backwards
Encyclopedia
Stuart: A Life Backwards is a book by Alexander Masters
, the biography of Stuart Shorter. It explores how a young boy, somewhat disabled from birth, became mentally unstable, criminal and violent, living homeless on the streets of Cambridge. As the title suggests, the book starts from Shorter's adult life, tracing it back in time through his troubled childhood, examining the effects his family, schooling and disability had on his eventual state.
The book was shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Awards in 2005 for biography, and the 2006 Hawthornden Prize
.
A television dramatisation with the same name, starring Tom Hardy
and Benedict Cumberbatch
, was co-produced by the BBC
and HBO in 2007. Tom Hardy was nominated for a 2008 BAFTA
for his portrayal of Stuart Shorter..
- died 6 July 2002 in Waterbeach
, Cambridgeshire
) was a homeless man and advocate whose life was chronicled by Alexander Masters
in his book.
, which he inherited from his father.
As a child, Stuart was sexually abused by his brother, and also by a babysitter, after which he was put into a children's home. Here, he was abused again by the notorious paedophile Keith Laverack, who in 1996, was jailed for 18 years for various offences against children. During his adult life, Shorter was in and out of various homeless hostel
s, as well as spending much time in prison
for a number of violent crime
s. He also fathered one son, the 'Little'Un', who lives in Norwich.
to live in. He subsequently became one of the first people to bring The Big Issue
into Cambridge, and his work as an activist for the homeless began when he presented a short BBC2 documentary, Private Investigations, denouncing police plans to ban homeless people from the city centre.
In 1999, Shorter became a leading figure in the campaign to release Ruth Wyner and John Brock, the Director and Day Centre Manager of Wintercomfort for the Homeless, who had been sent to prison because some of the people they were looking after had been secretly trading drugs
on the charity's premises. Stuart negotiated with police
to organise marches and vigils, and arranged the campaign's most successful gesture – a three-day sleep-out of homeless people outside the Home Office
in London
– which ended in the release of the "Cambridge Two" after just six months.
, Stuart Shorter was hit by the 11.15 p.m. London to King's Lynn
train, and was killed instantly. He was 33 years old. As to the cause of his death, the jury returned an open verdict
.
Despite an overall lack of evidence that Stuart purposefully walked in front of the train, the coroners report stating that this was contrary to how his body was positioned at the time of death, there are certain hints that suggest Stuart may well have intended to die. Stuart had a long history of attempted suicides and his sister Zoe once mentioned in an interview that Stuart informed her that were he ever to commit suicide he would be forced to make it appear accidental as he felt that the prospect of his mother losing both sons to suicide would be too much for her to bear.
Alexander Masters
Alexander Masters is an author, screenwriter, and worker with the homeless. He lives in Cambridge, United Kingdom.Masters is the son of authors Dexter Masters and Joan Brady. He was educated at Bedales School, and took a first in physics from King's College London...
, the biography of Stuart Shorter. It explores how a young boy, somewhat disabled from birth, became mentally unstable, criminal and violent, living homeless on the streets of Cambridge. As the title suggests, the book starts from Shorter's adult life, tracing it back in time through his troubled childhood, examining the effects his family, schooling and disability had on his eventual state.
The book was shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Awards in 2005 for biography, and the 2006 Hawthornden Prize
Hawthornden Prize
The Hawthornden Prize is a British literary award that was established in 1919 by Alice Warrender. Authors are awarded on the quality of their "imaginative literature" which can be written in either poetry or prose...
.
A television dramatisation with the same name, starring Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy
Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the 2008 British film Bronson, the character of Eames in Inception, and the villain Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis...
and Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English film, television, and theatre actor. His most acclaimed roles include Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama Hawking ; William Pitt in the historical film Amazing Grace ; the protagonist Stephen Ezard in the miniseries thriller The Last Enemy ; Paul...
, was co-produced by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and HBO in 2007. Tom Hardy was nominated for a 2008 BAFTA
British Academy Television Awards 2008
The 2008 British Academy Television Awards were held on 20 April at the London Palladium Theatre in London. The ceremony was broadcast live on BBC One in the United Kingdom. The nominations were announced on 18 March 2008. Drama Cranford received the most nominations with four, making Judi Dench...
for his portrayal of Stuart Shorter..
Stuart Shorter
Stuart Shorter (born Stuart Clive Turner on 19 September 1968 in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
- died 6 July 2002 in Waterbeach
Waterbeach
Waterbeach is a large fen-edge village located 6 miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 23.26 km².- Village :...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
) was a homeless man and advocate whose life was chronicled by Alexander Masters
Alexander Masters
Alexander Masters is an author, screenwriter, and worker with the homeless. He lives in Cambridge, United Kingdom.Masters is the son of authors Dexter Masters and Joan Brady. He was educated at Bedales School, and took a first in physics from King's College London...
in his book.
Early life
Stuart was born in a condemned cottage on the edge of Cambridge, to his father, Andrew Turner [called Rex in the book and dramatisation], a gypsy and his mother, Sonia [Judith], (née Tierney), a barmaid. Sonia later remarried, to David Shorter [Paul]. Stuart had 1 brother and 2 half-sisters, Andrew [Gavvy], Zoe [Karen] and Kai: most noted in the novel are his older brother, Gavvy, and younger sister, Karen. Kai is only 'hinted at' in the book; never directly mentioned. Stuart suffered from Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophyFacioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy , which is also known as Landouzy-Dejerine, is a usually autosomal dominant inherited form of muscular dystrophy that initially affects the skeletal muscles of the face , scapula and upper arms...
, which he inherited from his father.
As a child, Stuart was sexually abused by his brother, and also by a babysitter, after which he was put into a children's home. Here, he was abused again by the notorious paedophile Keith Laverack, who in 1996, was jailed for 18 years for various offences against children. During his adult life, Shorter was in and out of various homeless hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
s, as well as spending much time in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for a number of violent crime
Violent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
s. He also fathered one son, the 'Little'Un', who lives in Norwich.
Activism
In 1998, following a five-year jail sentence for armed robbery, Stuart's life reached its lowest ebb. Whilst living in a subterranean multi-storey car park, he was rescued by two outreach workers, and was found a flatApartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
to live in. He subsequently became one of the first people to bring The Big Issue
The Big Issue
The Big Issue is a street newspaper published in eight countries; it is written by professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals. It was founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991...
into Cambridge, and his work as an activist for the homeless began when he presented a short BBC2 documentary, Private Investigations, denouncing police plans to ban homeless people from the city centre.
In 1999, Shorter became a leading figure in the campaign to release Ruth Wyner and John Brock, the Director and Day Centre Manager of Wintercomfort for the Homeless, who had been sent to prison because some of the people they were looking after had been secretly trading drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
on the charity's premises. Stuart negotiated with police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
to organise marches and vigils, and arranged the campaign's most successful gesture – a three-day sleep-out of homeless people outside the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
– which ended in the release of the "Cambridge Two" after just six months.
Death
On 6 July 2002, just outside his home village of WaterbeachWaterbeach
Waterbeach is a large fen-edge village located 6 miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 23.26 km².- Village :...
, Stuart Shorter was hit by the 11.15 p.m. London to King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
train, and was killed instantly. He was 33 years old. As to the cause of his death, the jury returned an open verdict
Open verdict
The Open verdict is an option open to a Coroner's jury at an Inquest in the legal system of England and Wales. The verdict strictly means that the jury confirms that the death is suspicious but is unable to reach any of the other verdicts open to them...
.
Despite an overall lack of evidence that Stuart purposefully walked in front of the train, the coroners report stating that this was contrary to how his body was positioned at the time of death, there are certain hints that suggest Stuart may well have intended to die. Stuart had a long history of attempted suicides and his sister Zoe once mentioned in an interview that Stuart informed her that were he ever to commit suicide he would be forced to make it appear accidental as he felt that the prospect of his mother losing both sons to suicide would be too much for her to bear.