Solitary ConfinementParachuted into France as a British secret agent, Christopher Burney was arrested by the Gestapo and thrown into a solitary confinement cell in a prison outside Paris. There he spent 526 days in complete isolation. With little human contact and nothing to distract him, Burney developed a mental and spiritual regime that enabled him not just to survive but to develop an internal resilience that enabled him to survive his subsequent time in Buchenwald

The story speaks fiercely to the contemporary moment and for all who share a sense of loneliness through having found themselves isolated by politics

Through what sluices has it swept

a destination in itself

Gerard Benson’s vivid

mesmerising and unforgettable

emptying the mountains of young men including Beth’s beloved brother Daniel

his reports are followed

each one of us can make a difference

For Mensah

Thandie Newton

The crime chases her into all manners of light and darkness

and someone must watch the waves ashore