Maggie O’Farrell

I got through it.

But honestly, I've never quite recovered from that.

No, it's fine because I've got it all marked up.

And I thought, OK, I really have to do something about it.

So I did go to a speech therapist and she said to me, you know, what's the worst thing?

And I said, well, it's the worst thing is if I stammer.

And she said, but why?

If you stammer, why is that so bad?

Why is it so terrible that somebody knows?

And she asked me to keep a stammering diary.

And one of the weeks I went, I'd gone into a chemist to pick up a prescription and they asked me my name and I couldn't get it out.

And the woman behind the counter laughed and said, oh, you've forgotten your own name.

And I came out feeling...

I was so humiliated.

And I told the speech therapist about this.

And I said, this was a moment which I stammered really badly.

And she said, you need to look that woman in the eye and you say, I have a stammer.

And she said, I want you to practice it now.

Say it to me.

And so I said, I'm sorry, I have a stammer.