Dianne Sangster
Author & Poet
Flutter
A story of love, hope, and recovery.
For him, gambling was more than a flutter, it stole his life…
Roulette!
I had come home.
I never wanted to leave.
As a young Aussie teacher in London on my first visit away from Australia, I had fallen in love with an older, wiser man. Or so I thought. It became apparent during our first year of marriage that something was terribly wrong.
Flutter is the story of our journey to be free of his addiction.
Dianne Sangster is an artist and writer who has been a community worker and teacher. Born in Melbourne, she lived in West London most of her adult life until moving to Frome, Somerset, seven years ago. She walks everywhere and is pleased to be dancing and body pumping at an age that would astonish Shakespeare.
She has poems and stories in anthologies and collaborated on Feathers in My Path, a book of poems and drawings with award-winning artist David Daniels. Flutter is her first full-length work.
Reviews of Flutter
Just fabulous. A close-up, beautiful, raw and joyful account of life as it is really lived, through feelings; delight, grief and, most of all, love. Dianne is a poet and artist and the writing is visual and beautiful. While telling of their life together, she allows Tony to trace his journey through his gambling addiction to recovery, and eye-opening story which spares nothing and ends with great positivity as Tony goes on to help other gamblers. I keenly felt Dianne’s innate love of people and her creativity in art, her nurturing of extended family and many friendships – and her devastating loss when Tony dies. And even then, there is beauty and hope. A truly moving book.
Frances Liardet, author of We Must Be Brave & Think Of Me
I can only say how much reading your book Flutter spoke to me. It sometimes brought me to tears. Pete was a fruit machine gambler, but the traits of lying and so on were just as prevalent. It’s written in a way that’s easy to read and will help people realize that gambling can be overcome by going to GA and Gam-Anon and that people can find a new life together with love.
Jill C, Gam-Anon member
Fascinating. Style is light and easy to read.
Brian O'Reilly, Educator
Flutter is a memoir of a life well-lived and a recovery journey that touched many hearts and minds. Dianne’s tribute to her husband Tony, Gamblers Anonymous and the twelve-step recovery programme beautifully showcases the energy and warmth that must have radiated from her husband during his many years of dedicated service to his fellowship. I hope this story of how Tony and Dianne recovered from co-dependency and gambling addiction finds its way into the hands of the people who need it most.
I am deeply touched to realise that by writing it, Dianne is enabling Tony’s legacy of service to his beloved fellowship to continue from beyond the grave. We twelve-steppers stand on the shoulders of giants who have gone before us, and we owe it to them to keep passing it on.
Flutter is a fitting tribute to the memory of Tony, the fellowship of Gamblers Anonymous and the power of the twelve-step programme. It is also an important piece of UK recovery history and especially the history of Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon which ought to be preserved for posterity. I am grateful to Dianne for her service in writing it.
Dr Samantha Duggan, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Twelve-Step Fellowships, and co-founder of Visible Recovery
Contact
Dianne Sangster
Telephone: +44 7917 038 888
Email: dianne@diannesangster.com
Instagram: @diannesangster