Originally published on Medium. Original story here. The day I broke my neck Newly injured by the roadside, Eastern Sri Lanka, September 5, 2006 [Reuters] When I woke, the engine noise was gone. So, judging by the light, was the tinted windscreen. My face was hard against the minibus dashboard, I’ve lost my glasses and … Continue reading Medium article – the day I broke my neck
Anniversary column and video – Covering the world, paralyzed from the shoulders down
This week was the twelfth anniversary of the crash that broke my neck. Reuters holds copyright for both the piece and video. Commentary: Covering the world, paralyzed from the shoulders down Peter Apps Twelve years ago this week, I woke up in a wrecked vehicle on a front line road in eastern Sri Lanka. … Continue reading Anniversary column and video – Covering the world, paralyzed from the shoulders down
Reuters column: the messy lesson of Trump’s latest legal challenges
My Reuters column this week looks at a momentous legal week for Donald Trump. But how much does that really mean? My best attempt at looking forward to the midterms, further legal wranglings and what the US president might do next. Original here. The mixed verdict in the trial of Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former … Continue reading Reuters column: the messy lesson of Trump’s latest legal challenges
Stories, history and the fight for the future
Last weekend, I was lucky enough to make it to an opening performance of Morgan Lloyd, Malcolm's phenomenal new play "Emelia" at the Globe on Bankside. The story of Emelia Bassano, Britain's first published female poet, probable muse for Shakespeare, his legendary "dark lady" and unapologetic furious feminist, it is as uncompromising as its decreasingly … Continue reading Stories, history and the fight for the future
Thoughts on a striking summer
London has rarely seen a summer like it, and maybe neither have I. The heat wave lasted for weeks going on months, and felt like it brought with it a certain kind of madness. For me, it's been in many respects the best since the injury 12 years ago, but that's also brought with it … Continue reading Thoughts on a striking summer
A small battle, not many dead – part one
Twelve years ago this weekend, I found myself crouched inside a Sri Lankan Navy assault boat racing across Trincomalee harbour. The Battle of Muttur – the first significant urban fight of the renewed and final round of the island's civil war – was over, the military said, and the media were being taken there as … Continue reading A small battle, not many dead – part one
Getting started
For a while now, I've been giving serious thought to writing more about my disability and experiences of it. It's now coming up on 12 years since the minibus smash in Sri Lanka that pulverized the third, fourth and fifth vertebrae of my spinal cord and opened a very new and… challenging chapter. For those … Continue reading Getting started
