Former Watford FC youth player Ben Mitchell is used to chasing big dreams, first on the football pitch, and now with a pen and paper.
Having joined Watford during the 1960’s, he spent more than two years in the club’s youth system before he moved to Luton Town FC.
During his time there, he admitted being too young to “fully appreciate the gift I was given, as not everyone gets that chance”. One of his clearest memories is playing alongside former footballer Tony Currie, who would go on to become an England international.
Football, however, was only part of Ben’s story. For the past 50 years, Ben has been writing: jotting down thoughts, poems, and lyrics wherever life has taken him.
His work overseas, across Eastern Europe and beyond, exposed him to powerful moments that stayed with him. From living in Berlin near to the Berlin Wall, witnessing apartheid in South Africa, and seeing racial segregation first-hand, he said it was “those experiences which affect you emotionally” which propelled him to write.
Now, those reflections have come together in a new book, To Be a Writer You Have to Be a Fighter, which is due to be published soon. The collection blends poetry, songs, and personal insight, shaped by a lifetime of observation.
Asked why he decided to share his life stories with the community, Ben responded saying: “I wanted to do something positive with what I’ve done, with my life. I’ve always been a writer, and this just felt like the right moment.”
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