Here at Brockway Gatehouse and Bookworm Writing Academy, we know everyone has strengths.
People with learning difficulties such as Dyslexia or who are neurodivergent often feel reluctant to chase careers in the publishing industry.
But I’m here to say don’t let your differences hold you back; instead, see them as unique keys that unlock your creativity.
Don’t believe me?
There are many aspects of life where Dyslexia is recognised to be an advantage; I have compiled a list of 10 Great Dyslexics.
1. Agatha Christie
Of course, I had o start my list with one of the most successful writers EVER!
It is remarkable to learn that such a famous writer had Dyslexia and continues to be the world’s best-selling author. Born in the South West of England, Agatha wrote over 60 detective novels and The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the world.
Even 30 years after her death, her books are still being reprinted and adapted into films and TV series.
2. Albert Einstein
This is not a joke.
The most famous scientist to ever walk this planet used to get bad grades at school. He won numerous prestigious prizes, including the Nobel Prize for Physics. You’ve probably heard of the equation E=mc squared, even if you don’t know what it means.
3. Cher
The Grammy-winning singer and Academy Award-winning actress struggled at school with her then-unknown learning difficulties. She couldn’t finish her homework quickly, and maths became a foreign language! So, she started to learn by listening. Subsequently, her weakness became a strength, and she used sound to become a superstar.
4. Jamie Oliver M.B.E.
World-famous chef Jamie Oliver has built a food empire selling books and TV shows together with opening successful restaurants. He has Dyslexia, and despite writing his own books, he apparently never finished reading an entire book until he was 38.
Often, it’s been found that people with Dyslexia find learning by listening more accessible like Cher has. Maybe Jamie learns through his sense of taste and smell.
5. Keira Knightley O.B.E.
Keira was diagnosed with Dyslexia when she was 6 years old. She is still a slow reader and can’t read out loud, but she is an award-winning actress who has made Dyslexia her own. The English starlet has held some of the most recognisable roles in 21st-century cinema, starring alongside Jonny Depp and fellow dyslexic Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean. She has appeared in many films, including Star Wars, Bend It Like Beckham, and Pride and Prejudice. In October 2020, she backed Made By Dyslexia, a global campaign to help teachers address “dyslexic strengths”.
6. Maggie Aderin-Pocock M.B.E.
Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin-Pocock is a British space scientist, science communicator and educator. She believes having a dream is essential for focusing the mind and encouraging hard work. Maggie still dreams of travelling to space and hopes that this may become a reality in the future. She was also determined to break down the stereotypes surrounding science and make children see that anyone could be a scientist. In 2009, she was honoured by the Queen as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, making her Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE.
7. Richard Branson
The entrepreneur and businessman have metaphorically and literally had a meteoric rise through his life, establishing the world-famous Virgin brand. You have probably used his companies somewhere, travelling trains, planes or automobiles. Richard Branson has grabbed hold of his ability to see the bigger picture; sometime soon, we will all see it in space travel.
8. Steven Spielberg
The director and producer have sculpted modern cinema. It was not always easy for him as learning to read took him two years longer than his classmates. In recent years he has spoken about his Dyslexia and returned to college in his fifties to complete a degree.
9. Whoopi Goldberg
Her real name is Caryn Elaine Johnson. The dyslexic actress has won virtually every award going. Despite the difficulty of learning her lines, she became the second African American woman to win an Oscar. She was made famous for her performance in ‘The Colour Purple’, which hit the screens in 1985. Since then, she has flourished, even attaining an Open University degree, which she often studied between takes on film sets.
10. Winston Churchill
When we talk about ‘inspirational,’ there are few better than the former two-time Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. He famously led the country through The Second World War and was a historian and writer. If becoming Prime Minister wasn’t enough, he also wrote many books, eventually winning a Nobel Prize in Literature for his life’s work.
I’ll finish with film director, Steven Spielberg’s words of advice and a quote from actor, Orlando Bloom:
“You are not alone, and while you will have Dyslexia for the rest of your life, you can dart between the raindrops to get where you want to go.
It will not hold you back.”
Steven Spielberg
Don’t forget to wave your dyslexia flag especially throughout Dyslexia Awareness Week organised by the British Dyslexia Association.
