Life is fraught with many challenges, some of which, according to Helena Edwards-Bishop, can bring us to our knees and make us feel as if we are damaged beyond repair. But being the optimist she is, Mrs. Bishop assures that there is hope, even after being brought to the depths of defeat. She is confident that being brought down can in fact serve to help one rise bolder and stronger from the ashes of life’s challenges.
A Guyanese by birth, Mrs. Bishop currently resides in the United Kingdom. She was raised in New Amsterdam, Berbice, and from an early age had a passion for writing poetry and short stories. She came to Georgetown in 1975 and studied at the Carnegie School of Home Economics.
She soon progressed and moved on to nursing, before migrating to the United Kingdom in 1991, and it was there that she decided to pursue courses in creative writing which catapulted her to a higher writing level.
Her writings, according to her, are intended to enlighten people that there is hope in every situation. She speculated during an interview with this publication that challenges are designed to furnish us with the strength to move to higher heights and achieve nothing short of greatness. One might ask what qualifies Mrs. Bishop to make such a rousing assertion, but it is in fact experience that has taught her well. In fact, so stimulating have her experiences been over the years that she decided to embrace her passion for short story writing to detail but a few.
Among her published accomplishments are ‘Simon and the Money Tree’, which is a delightful children’s story about the benefits of good social behaviour, courtesy, compassion and love and ‘The Wayward Haggis’, which is described as a moral tale for children, that warns about the penalty for disobedience and its negative impact on families. Her most recent work is interestingly but intentionally entitled ‘Scorpio: Far to go and much to know’ as it was inspired by her own zodiac sign. She was born on November 4th, 1960.
Scorpions, according to Mrs. Bishop, are usually very secretive and can be lethal as well as loyal.
“We can form very strong bonds and that is more or less me,” she jokingly related as she noted that “I can absorb a lot of things and when the time comes I will let you know how I feel… when the time is right.”
She is driven by the need to fight against injustices, pointing out that she has had quite a few “scrapes” in her attempt to fight for what is right.
“Everyone is not fair-minded and I have encountered all sorts of things, from racism to unhelpful people. I have met a lot of nice and not so nice people.”
It was some of the nice people who helped her with the publication of her book; faithful among them is her husband Franklin Bishop. He served as the graphic artist for her publications.
It is her expectation that persons who come across her books, which can be found at the National Library, would be able to learn that life’s challenges should merely be viewed as stepping stones.
The preface to ‘Scorpio’ outlines that the stories encompass human frailty, desire, strength, wisdom, camaraderie and the challenges faced by many. It outlines that “Love, angst, truth, cunning and war play a central role in the trying to understand and address issues relating to the human psyche and the coping mechanisms used to salvage some self-esteem and hope.”
According to Mrs. Bishop it is important that persons seek to maintain the balance and work towards getting things accomplished.
“I am happy that I had the chance to retreat and put my views on record because the psychological trauma that some people face can be quite devastating…”
As such she is hopeful that her publications would help to ensure that people do not continue to suffer in silence and stand up for what they believe in.