In His Autobiography, One Journey, Many Lives, Windrush Son Barrington Augustus Sowden Shares The Far-Reaching Consequences Of His Parents’ Decision To Seek A Better Life

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best book magazine in the UK“, Barrington Augustus Sowden’s heart-rending autobiography, One Journey, Many Lives, recounts his eventful life after is parents departed for the UK as part of the Windrush exodus.

One Journey, Many Lives

Barrington Augustus Sowden’s autobiography, One Journey, Many Lives, is the inspiring account of his struggle to overcome endless challenges in order to build a brighter future for himself and his family.

When he was just two years old, Barrington Sowden’s mother left him and his older sister to be cared for by their grandparents in Jamaica, as they joined the Windrush departure from the island to look for work in the UK. With his father having left years earlier, Barrington was left without any memory of his parents, and a childhood marked by a series of strange events.

After the unexpected death of his grandfather, in circumstances which up to the present day seem suspicious, Barrington moved in with his parents in Manchester when he was ten years old. He was quickly thrown into a life filled with drugs, racism, and violence, which made it hard for him to find his own way.

Chronicling his life from his early years to the present day, One Journey, Many Lives tells the story of an ordinary man trying to build resilience amidst extraordinary circumstances. 

Barrington Sowden’s eloquently delivered life story will resonate not only with his Windrush peers but also with all those who have persevered through life with determination and grit. It details the author’s path to resilience as well as the generational consequences faced by the children of Windrush migrants.

A compelling and poignant read, One Journey, Many Lives is a significant chronicle highlighting the ripple effects of the injustices endured by the Windrush Generation, many of which are still prevalent today.

Barrington Augustus Sowden

This autobiography has enabled me, and hopefully will enable the reader, to delve into the unusual elements of my life which led me to some pretty extreme moments over the years. I hope it is an optimistic book, demonstrating how we can all overcome huge obstacles through application and resilience

–Barrington Augustus Sowden

Barrington Augustus Sowden was born in Jamaica in 1954 and spent his childhood being taken care of by his grandparents, after his parents left for the UK as part of the Windrush exodus. At 10 years old, after the unexpected passing of his grandfather, he moved to Manchester to live with his parents.

Barrington found solace in the world of Soul music during his teenage years, which were marked by abuse from his violent father. At the age of 16, he began DJing in Manchester’s club scene. 

He joined the Royal Navy and had an eventful, though successful career, that included being wrongfully imprisoned, being attacked by five racist thugs, and being one of the first and only black men to captain the famous field gun race.

After being invalidid from the Navy in his mid-30s, Barrington got married, had children, and worked as the National Sports Officer for the National Association of Boys Clubs. 

Barrington returned to Plymouth, where he had back decompression surgery when he was in the Navy, and went on to be successful as a commodity broker and business consultant. He uses the many skills he has acquired throughout his life to assist others in developing resilience. At the moment, he works as a life coach and personal trainer for the elderly.

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Published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, One Journey, Many Lives (ISBN: 978-1-80378-120-4)is published on 25th July 2023and is available in paperback and Kindle format.

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3Z92TBG

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3PvwZvY

Waterstones | Cranthorpe Millner