With 27 published books, with more to come, plus a blossoming career as a film-maker, best-selling author D G Torrens has turned a torrid childhood of care home abuse and violence into an inspirational success story 

D G Torrens, is a best-selling author and filmmaker from Birmingham with 27 published books. She is best known for writing Amelia’s Story which sold several hundred thousand copies worldwide, as far afield as Japan, Mexico and India.

She recently published Three For a Girl, book three in what will be a series of 10 domestic thriller stories that shine a light on abuse, including domestic violence, coercive control and narcissism, through fictional stories. It’s a subject close to her heart and with which she shares great knowledge as a survivor herself of childhood domestic violence who is now in her 50s.

Like many leading authors, her writing is from the heart and from experience. She says: Amelia’s Story, my first published book, is really my memoir. It was my story for my daughter, so when she was older she would have a deeper understanding of her mother’s difficult survival journey. It is a story of triumph over adversity.”

READING TO ESCAPE

D G (her first name is Dawn, although she everyone knows her as D G) was brought up in the state care system along with her three siblings and says the environment was so harsh that she tried to hide behind the curtains and shut out everything that was going on around her. The home they were in had a paedophile ring which preyed on the boys in care. The four children were split up and sent to care homes scattered across the country. She remembers running away from the home at night, wearing just her pyjamas to try and find her brother.

Amid the turmoil, D G  found comfort and escapism through reading, with her first books being Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series. She also discovered Charles Dickens and says she related to his writing, particularly Oliver Twist, a story that was in some ways similar to her own. “Dickens became a kind of mentor for me,” she said.

“I began writing aged nine with poetry and short stories, which was a welcome distraction. By the time I was 30, I had several half-written novels – half-written because I was working a day job and time was very limited. Nine years later, I left my day job and took the plunge to become a full-time author. It proved to be the best decision I ever made.”

DREAMS COME TRUE

Amelia’s Story became a Number One best-seller on Amazon, and D G said: “That first book gave me wings! I wrote about all my experiences in care and how I survived and grew – to show people how you really can fulfil your dreams if you try hard enough and never give in.”

D G’s writing process is highly creative but also very precise. “I write what is in my head, it is that simple.” she explains. “I make a skeleton outline with bullet points and transport myself to the emotional moments I am creating. I write in complete silence. I will be writing and I don’t hear anything else going on around me. I am totally immersed. I can even shed tears as I’m writing. And I always have a story lined up in my head before I finish my current work. After Amelia’s Story, which as I mentioned is my biography, my other books are fictional, although they still draw on themes from my life.”

AMAZING BRUM

Her works span diverse genres, from domestic thrillers, military romance to romantic suspense, drama/suspense, thrillers, contemporary romance novels, and even poetry collections. D G, who lives with her husband and daughter in Great Barr, said: “Birmingham has been amazing for me. I’ve been here for 37 years and I love the city and the people. My first cheque from Amazon was for just 25 dollars. Things have changed so much over the years and I am so proud of my success.”

That success includes film-making after she co-directed her first documentary titled Birmingham A City Rooted in Talent, celebrating the vibrant city, the remarkable talent that it has produced over the decades, and featuring 45 interviews with leading Birmingham celebrities. D G teamed up with co-director, co-producer and fellow author, Martin Tracey to form film production company Contrary Trees Productions. The film was named Best Documentary at the Birmingham Film Festival 2024.