Noel 'Razor' Smith on prison and writing, at 5x15

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Noel 'Razor' Smith on prison and writing, at 5x15

28 Oct 2010

Speakers: Noel 'Razor' Smith

The amount of time Noel ‘Razor’ Smith has spent behind bars is staggering: since 1976, he has spent only one year – 1981, the year his first son was born – without serving time. Due to his tendency to be ‘a bit of a handful’ whilst incarcerated, he was repeatedly moved, and has been an inmate of 49 different institutions. Throughout the eighties and nineties he committed over 200 bank robberies, and paid the price in 1997 when he was sentenced to life under the ‘two strikes’ act.

Having learnt to read and write whilst in solitary confinement, Smith read voraciously while in prison, and eventually decided to try his hand at writing. Coming second in an inter-prison short story competition spurred him on and, having met Will Self through John McVicar whilst on parole the previous year, sent the author a story from prison along with the request for a few writing tips and a visit. The response was simple: if he was going to remain a criminal, Self couldn’t help him, but if he was going to change his ways and make something out of his life, the author would try.

Not being allowed out for his son’s funeral in 2001 provided the catalyst for Smith to renounce his criminal ways and volunteer for HMP Grendon, a unique prison which aims to rehabilitate violent and sexual recidivists via cognitive group therapy. Now the author of three books, Smith talks about his life and time behind bars with disarming frankness, refusing to make excuses for his actions - although this may be because he never really admits to having done anything wrong.