JANE CZYZSELSKA CHATS TO VICKY BEECHING ABOUT HER NEW MEMOIR, UNDIVIDED

VICKY BEECHING

When the poster girl for evangelical Christianity realised she was gay, Vicky Beeching felt torn in two. The global church saw her sexuality as sinful – would she have to sacrifice one for the other? In her newly published memoir Undivided, she tells her powerful and courageous story. Jane Czyzselska met up with her to find out more.

DIVA: Undivided opens with a preface that tells us that the book is about you and also not about you. Can you tell us what you mean by that?

VICKY BEECHING: I wanted to write about my personal journey, but also about themes that affect most of us, regardless of our sexuality, gender identity or religion. So I made sure to say that at the start of the book: Undivided is about my story but it’s not solely about me – it’s also about many of our stories; our shared human longing to be loved, to be accepted, and to belong within a community. It’s a coming out story, but it’s also about facing fears and pursuing authenticity – so it’s hopefully a book that will engage a wide range of readers.

How long did it take you to write, and was that a challenging process?

It took a while! Three years to be exact. I signed the contract with HarperCollins in 2015, but got diagnosed with M.E. and fibromyalgia that summer, which put the brakes on my life and my work. Because of the chronic fatigue these conditions cause, I had to write the book in short bursts whenever I had energy, and alongside all the other plates I was spinning – including my year as a DIVA columnist (which I loved) – so it was a slow process! I’m delighted it’s finally finished and published.