Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Dyslexia is My Superpower (Most of the Time)
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.margaretrooke.com/
CITY: London
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Children: one daughter, Loretta.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Independent Age, interviewer, 2017-present. Worked formerly as a columnist for Saturday Telegraph magazine; contributing editor for Options magazine, senior feature writer at Woman’s Own.
WRITINGS
Contributor to numerous national and regional newspapers, magazines, publications, websites, and charity sector organizations. Writes for the charity sector, for publications and websites. Contributed to BBC Radio 2 medical expert Dr. Mike Smith’s books.
SIDELIGHTS
Margaret Rooke is a writer for national and regional newspapers, magazines and books. She also writes for the charity sector, for publications and websites. She has been a columnist for Saturday Telegraph, a contributing editor for Options magazine and a writer at Woman’s Own. She has worked with BBC Radio 2 medical expert Dr. Mike Smith to create content about child safety, stress and the menopause.
When Rooke’s daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia at age thirteen, Rooke began to write about children with dyslexia. Rooke works with organization Independent Age, interviewing older people about their lives and experiences. She lives in London, England.
In Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories, Rooke presents the stories of twenty-three successful British business, arts, and sports leaders who have dyslexia. The interviewees range from such notable names as Darcey Bussell, David Bailey, Richard Branson, Benjamin Zephaniah, and Zoe Wanamaker. Rooke explains that the book is aimed to reassure individuals with dyslexia, or those who do not seem to succeed in traditional ways at school. Rooke was inspired to make the book after she found out that her daughter had dyslexia. She approached organization Dyslexia Action about the project idea, and they supported her. Funds for the book also go to the charity.
In the book, Rooke talks with the interviewees about what life was like growing up with dyslexia, and how it helped or hindered their later success. She writes that everyone she interviewed spoke about some sort of experience of feeling out of place in the classroom. They then described the success they found once they left school. Rooke notes that many of the people she spoke with actually ascribe their later success to dyslexia and the ways in which it set their thinking processes apart from others.
She writes that some individuals find that dyslexia makes them think in creative, novel ways that allow them to come up with original ideas. Others explained that the struggles they experienced growing up with dyslexia taught them to work harder than everyone else and never face the failure they endured in the classroom.
“Highly significant is that most of the successful people in the book had at least one adult ‘on their side,’” wrote a contributor to JKP Blog website, while Robyn Gioia in School Library Journal noted readers “will come to understand how the individuals grew beyond those experiences and that support from parents and family is essential.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
School Library Journal, December, 2015, Robyn Gioia, review of Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories, p. 146; October, 2017, Kathryn Justus, review of Dyslexia Is My Superpower (Most of the Time), p. 130.
ONLINE
JKP Blog, http://www.jkp.com/ (September 27, 2016), review of Creative, Successful, Dyslexic.
Margaret Rooke has more than 20 years' experience writing for national and regional newspapers, magazines and books. When Margaret's daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia at 13, Margaret began to write about and advocate for children with dyslexia.
Margaret Rooke's new book a fresh and invigorating take on dyslexia
601
Friday, October 06, 2017
By Catherine Shanahan
Health Correspondent
Margaret Rooke discusses her new book, ‘Dyslexia is my Superpower’, with Catherine Shanahan.
"Ideas are what's important," says Margaret Rooke, author of Dyslexia is my Superpower.
“ONE thing that’s really clear is how different everyone’s experience of dyslexia is,” says Margaret Rooke of the children who feature in her new book Dyslexia is my Superpower (Most Of The Time).
For sure the experience is not universal. Jed believes his brain was shot through with a lightning bolt of smartness. Elliot believes there is nothing he can’t do. Grace’s friends told her she had special needs.
Ryan Hamilton Black, from Kildare, reckons it gives him superpowers and who would argue given Ross inspired the book’s title?
Rooke’s book is a fresh and invigorating take on dyslexia, told through the voices of children, most of whom see their learning difficulty as something of a mixed blessing. Without doubt, it makes school especially tough and textbooks a nightmare, but it also gifts children with an atypical way of thinking that seems to lead to greater creativity.
The author, who lives in Britain, has a personal interest in dyslexia — her daughter Loretta was diagnosed at age 13.
“Our story may not be typical. Loretta did really well in primary school and we presumed she’d carry on doing well in secondary.
“But she stopped progressing. She told us school was chaos and she wasn’t learning anything. We thought maybe the school was chaotic. I tried to intervene but it didn’t go down well.
“Then one day I found a poster she had made for Anti-Bullying Week when she was aged about 11 — she was 13 at this stage — and the poster said, ‘Tell an Adult’. Except it was spelled wrong. And I thought ‘Oh my goodness, she’s dyslexic!’”
Diagnosis came late for many of the children in this book. Rooke says they were told a child can often get by in primary school because they find ways to compensate for the problem areas. But secondary school is a different ballgame.
“You have different teachers, classrooms, subjects. Loretta couldn’t find a way to cope.”
Her daughter was a very positive child but suddenly felt labelled and worried she couldn’t achieve what she wanted to achieve. Rooke was determined she would fulfil her potential and helped her with her GCSEs.
Margaret Rooke and her daughter Loretta
“We did a lot of work on them together. And she did her A-levels — two creative subjects and sociology. But she decided she wasn’t going to university because she’d had enough of education.”
Some of the kids’ stories about their school days are heartbreaking. The panic is palpable when tasks prove too difficult; the shame in front of classmates, immeasurable.
Leah wants to work in counselling because she knows “how it feels to get hurt or embarrassed”. She talks of her teacher shouting at her in front of the whole class.
Rooke says the Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI), which put her in contact with the Irish case studies in her book, are calling for mandatory teacher training in dyslexia, as well as easier and equal access to dyslexia assessment and supports.
“I think people should be listening to them [DAI]. It’s not fair on the child with dyslexia, or on their parents or teachers or classmates, when the training is not there,” says Rooke.
Most of the children who spoke to Rooke have learned to embrace their condition, largely thanks to the support and encouragement of parents, teachers, and peers. Others still struggle.
Rooke — who has written several books on dyslexia , including the best-selling Creative, Successful, Dyslexic featuring high achievers such as Darcey Bussell, David Bailey, and Richard Branson — says it’s really important for parents to identify their child’s strengths and play to them. “So much of the focus now is on results, results, results. There’s real competitiveness in the playroom. But really it would help all of us if we celebrate what they are good at, be it cooking or whatever.
“The most important thing is for the child to know there is someone on their side, be it parent, aunt, uncle, friend, telling them they are not stupid, they have their own talents. That you believe in them — that’s a huge way towards ensuring a successful future.”
So what of Rooke’s daughter, now aged 19? She has that entrepreneurial spirit that Rooke believes is especially strong in people with dyslexia. And she’s harnessing it well. She’s on the cusp of launching her own shoe design and manufacturing business and has been to China to set up a supply chain.
“I spoke to her on the phone and she said ‘Mum, I’m learning every day. She never said that to me before.”
Rooke gives the last word to one of her contributors, Isobel, 17, from Wales: “Ideas are what’s important — not the ability to remember a sequence of letters.
“If you find a way to deal with global warming or clean out the oceans, no one will say, ‘I’m not listening because the spelling is wrong.’”
Margaret Rooke has more than 25 years’ experience writing for national and regional newspapers, magazines, and books. She is the author of the best-selling Creative, Successful, Dyslexic, (JKP, 2015).
It was a relief
Evelyn, 17, Co Wicklow:
“I never let the other kids hear me read. I asked the teachers not to ask me and they just thought I was shy.
“On the bright side, I was always good at art. The teacher would always pick me to draw things and the other kids would say, ‘That’s so good.’
“When I went into secondary school, things went downhill further... The teachers thought I was lazy…. I used to pretend to be sick…
“We had to read out loud and, if we had a test, the teacher would call out the scores in front of everyone. I just thought, ‘Someone help me.’ It was all so public.
“I would spend these moments on the verge of tears. I would be sweating and so embarrassed.
“When the educational psychologist told me about the dyslexia it was arelief.. I didn’t just feel stupid anymore.”
© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved
Margaret Rooke
Case Studies Manager
Listen
Margaret Rooke is a writer who has worked for a number of charities. She joined Independent Age earlier this year to interview older people about their lives and experiences and describes this as a “dream job”.
Margaret’s latest book, ‘Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories,’ (Jessica Kingsley Publishers), includes interviews with Darcey Bussell CBE, David Bailey CBE, Benjamin Zephaniah, Zoe Wanamaker CBE, Richard Rogers, Sir Richard Branson and Eddie Izzard. They all talk about how dyslexia hindered them at school but helped them achieve their goals at work.
Email
margaret.rooke@independentage.org
Twitter username
@margsrooke
Website
http://margaretrooke.com
Margaret Rooke is an author and writer with 25 years experience in books, newspapers and magazines. Her new book 'Dyslexia is my Superpower (Most of the Time)' features moving and entertaining interviews with more than 100 children and young adults with dyslexia from across the world. See
https://www.amazon.com/Dyslexia-My-Superpower-Most-Time/dp/1785922998
The book is a sister title to the bestselling 'Creative, Successful, Dyslexic. 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories', which includes interviews with Darcey Bussell CBE, Eddie Izzard, Benjamin Zephaniah, David Bailey CBE, Sir Richard Branson and many more. Both are published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
'Creative, Successful, Dyslexic' was serialised in The Sunday Times and The Guardian. It is available at Waterstones, community bookshops, The Guardian bookstore, the Dyslexia Action website, Amazon and other on-line outlets.
Margaret also writes for the charity sector, for publications and websites.
Her agent is Jane Judd http://www.janejudd.com/
Margaret is a highly experienced writer. She has been a columnist for the Saturday Telegraph Magazine, contributing editor for Options magazine, senior feature writer at Woman's Own and has worked for many other national newspapers, newspaper supplements and magazines. She wrote three books with Dr Mike Smith when he was the BBC Radio 2 medical expert: on child safety, stress and the menopause.
Homes expert and TV presenter Aggie MacKenzie, who worked with Margaret on a recent project, says, "Margaret is highly professional, hugely experienced, extremely adaptable, fast and accurate. She has an intelligent, enquiring approach to everything, is invariably bursting with brilliant, workable ideas and is always current in her thinking. Margaret has a natural understanding about what people really want to read."
Margaret helped Harriet Lamb CBE, when CEO of Fairtrade International update her book, 'Fighting the Banana Wars and other Fairtrade Battles'. Harriet, now CEO of International Alert, says: "Margaret gives her full commitment to every piece of work she carries out. She has a natural ability to engage people in her writing, always understanding the 'bigger picture' objectives of a piece of work while having an extraordinary attention to detail. She is completely reliable, works on her own initiative - and is always an utter joy to work with."
Her acclaimed book 'Creative, Successful, Dyslexic. 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories' was reviewed and serialised by Sian Griffiths, Education Editor of the Sunday Times, who said, "This book provides clear and inspirational hope for anyone with a dyslexic child. Like many excellent books it is written from personal experience. I strongly recommend it."
20 November, 2015
High achievers with dyslexia share their stories in new book
Famous names including David Bailey and Benjamin Zephaniah talk about how dyslexia has enabled them to be creative and successful
Russell Parton
Author Margaret Rooke with Benjamin Zephaniah
When photographer David Bailey and his art critic friend each decided to take a photograph of the same view in Cornwall, there’s no surprise whose turned out the best.
“I achieve this without being able to explain why,” says Bailey, before acknowledging that his mind must work in a way that makes him see things differently from other people.
Bailey is one of 23 contributors to the book Creative, Successful, Dyslexic by Stoke Newington author Margaret Rooke, in which well known figures from the arts, sport and business worlds describe their experiences of dyslexia.
Dyslexic celebrities such as Richard Branson, Eddie Izzard and Darcey Bussell reveal the difficulties they faced in childhood, and how, ultimately, they think dyslexia actually helped them reach the top of their professions.
For Bailey, who only became aware of the word ‘dyslexia’ when he was 30, curiosity and spark, and not the ability to spell, are the main factors for a successful life. He talks about his “uncommon sense” and how making mistakes can be the basis for a lot of art.
Margaret Rooke had the idea for the book after her own daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, aged 13.
“It was just such a shock to us, and it took a long time for it to sink in,” Rooke says. “But I really did want her to know that she could still do what she wanted in life. I didn’t want this to be something that weighed heavily on her shoulders.”
Rooke quotes the story of a friend whose son was diagnosed with dyslexia. When the friend spotted an article about how Richard Branson was dyslexic, she cut it out and stuck it to the son’s bed, and it turned out to be a turning point for the son.
“I thought it’d be great to get a whole book together with lots of different examples,” Rooke says.
With the help of charity Dyslexia Action, who put forward some of their ambassadors, Rooke was able to put the book together. One thing common to all of the stories is the importance of a positive outlook.
“When we found out that my daughter was dyslexic I didn’t have a positive response,” Rooke admits.
“But the attitude from the experts in the book and a lot of the people I interviewed was to be positive. The attributes that come with dyslexia might not help with school qualifications but they can still help your child in the world of work.”
Rooke recognises that teachers do an “incredible job” and that schools are much more “on it” when it comes to dyslexia these days. But when the educational establishment places attainment and results above everything else, including creativity, how can those who learn in different ways thrive?
“I’ve found just in the playground there’s a lot of competitiveness and kids always know who is top of the class,” says Rooke. “Even if we’re not in an age where teachers call out the results, kids do know and I would say step away from all of that because there are other ways to shine.”
Poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who holds 17 honorary doctorate degrees yet still finds the word ‘knot’ difficult to spell, ends the collection with a powerful call to arms.
“If someone can’t understand dyslexia it’s their problem, not yours,” he tells the reader directly. “In the same way, if someone oppresses me because of my race I don’t sit
down and think ‘How can I become white?’
“It’s not my problem, it’s theirs and they have to come to terms with it. So if you’re dyslexic, don’t be heavy on yourself.”
Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories is published by Jessica Kingsley. RRP: £16.99. ISBN: 9781849056533
/ 20 November, 2015
Rooke, Margaret. Dyslexia Is My Superpower (Most of the Time)
Kathryn Justus
School Library Journal. 63.10 (Oct. 2017): p130+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
ROOKE, Margaret. Dyslexia Is My Superpower (Most of the Time). 240p. illus. Jessica Kingsley. Sept. 2017. pap. $18.95. ISBN 9781785922992.
Gr 7 Up--Rooke has collected interviews with children with dyslexia in order to share their experiences and to provide readers with an idea of best practices in and out of school. The book effectively highlights a variety of experiences with dyslexia by featuring interviews with over 100 different young people from around the world ranging from ages eight to 18. The conversations are organized around unifying themes such as achieving goals and role models. These segments are presented in the first person, lending the work an authentic and relatable tone. However, there is an unedited style to the text, which may challenge readers. Artwork by kids with dyslexia is peppered throughout. Back matter features tips from those interviewed for the book, as well as lists of what teachers should and shouldn't do to help their students with dyslexia. VERDICT This collection of interviews frames dyslexia in a positive light and would be most useful to parents and educators looking to support students with dyslexia.--Kathryn Justus, Renbrook School, West Hartford, CT
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Justus, Kathryn. "Rooke, Margaret. Dyslexia Is My Superpower (Most of the Time)." School Library Journal, Oct. 2017, p. 130+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A507950901/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=273c718e. Accessed 20 Feb. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A507950901
Rooke, Margaret, ed.: Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories
Robyn Gioia
School Library Journal. 61.12 (Dec. 2015): p146.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
ROOKE, Margaret, ed. Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories. 224p. photos. Jessica Kingsley. 2015. Tr $25. ISBN 9781849056533; ebk. ISBN 9781784501631.
Gr 9 Up--In this inspirational book, 23 famous British individuals from the business, arts, and sports worlds discuss growing up with dyslexia. Many of the contributors believe that it is a blessing to be dyslexic and attribute their success to the unique set of skills they have developed as a result, such as being determined, looking at things visually, and listening carefully. Though the writers discuss awkward and uncomfortable moments, readers will come to understand how the individuals grew beyond those experiences and that support from parents and family is essential. These selections will also help educators and other adults learn to recognize the signs of dyslexia in the classroom and appreciate the depth of emotional difficulty that this condition can present. "About Dyslexia," a bulleted section listing signs of dyslexia, and "Where to Go for Help" are appended. VERDICT An enlightening read for anyone in the field of education, and an inspirational book for those who have dyslexia.--Robyn Gioia, Antilles Middle School, Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Gioia, Robyn. "Rooke, Margaret, ed.: Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories." School Library Journal, Dec. 2015, p. 146. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A436437578/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d1f8c3d8. Accessed 20 Feb. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A436437578
Dyslexia doesn’t have to be a barrier to success – Margaret Rooke
JKPSeptember 27, 2016 0 Comments
Margaret Rooke, author of Creative, Successful, Dyslexic, explains the journey she went through in writing this book. Compelled as a mother to help her daughter, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as a teenager, Margaret set about using her 20 years’ experience as a writer on national newspapers and magazines to approach the 23 high achievers with dyslexia whose stories form the book. Its aim, she says, is “to reassure anyone with dyslexia and their loved ones – together with any others who do not seem to shine naturally at school in these results-driven days.”
When I found out my 13-year-old daughter was dyslexic, my first response was shock. She had ticked all the educational boxes at primary school very happily.
She stopped learning as soon as she arrived at secondary school and we spent a couple of years working out why this was. Was it the school? Was she on some kind of strike? Was she simply unhappy?
Then, while clearing out at home, I found a poster she had made when she was ten or 11. She was proud of it because she’d won an award for it so we had kept it. It was an anti-bullying poster and the slogan she had written was ‘Tell an adlut’.
Suddenly I realised. As we began to put the SEN wheels in motion I had an underlying determination that any label she was given would not shatter her confidence. I didn’t want her to think that being dyslexic meant she was any less likely to achieve whatever she wanted in life.
I approached Dyslexia Action and told them I wanted to produce a book of interviews of successful people with dyslexia to drum home this message to my daughter and others in her situation, as well as to raise funds for the charity. They agreed straightaway. I started work and found out that not only should children with dyslexia not let it hold them back, but that it can sometimes be an advantage.
I wanted children to know they were not alone and that after school could be their time to shine. I wanted their parents to know the same. And I wanted teachers to know what was going on for some of the children in their classes, who may be distracting, or being silly, or arriving late, or chatting, or playing up in some other way.
My book is called Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories. In it, Darcey Bussell, David Bailey, Richard Branson, Benjamin Zephaniah, Zoe Wanamaker and many more describe what sitting in lessons felt like for them and how they coped, from hiding in cupboards to playing truant. They all had talents which led to them achieving greatly in their careers after school which didn’t help them while they were at school. Many ascribe having these talents to being dyslexic.
Some explain they have a creativity and outlook which enabled them to achieve in the way they have. The see the way that dyslexia makes their brain work differently has been an advantage for many of them. Others say that dyslexia has simply given them a determination never to fail again as they failed over and over again at school.
England rugby union player Chris Robshaw has another take. “Having dyslexia taught me an important lesson about bouncing back when things don’t go my way,” he told me. “Everyone playing sport needs this skill and it has been valuable to me throughout my life.”
The book’s message isn’t that everyone with dyslexia should achieve like Sir Richard Branson. This would be more discouraging than anything. For me it’s about encouraging those with dyslexia to do their very best in whatever they decide to do. As racing champion and businessman Sir Jackie Stewart says in the book, “If I had been a window cleaner I would have done it well. I could have been a world champion window cleaner!”
The messages in the book include the importance of retaining confidence in the future for yourself if you are dyslexic, for your child if they are and for the children in your class if you work in a school. Highly significant is that most of the successful people in the book had at least one adult ‘on their side’ as they were growing up who believed in them no matter what negative messages they were receiving from themselves or from others. Support like this costs nothing and can change lives. We can all be that supportive person for someone with dyslexia. Starting today.