Liftman: A Novel by Anthea Church Inspired by BK Experiences
Posted: 04 Mar 2024
Billed by her publishers, or possibly the tabloid presses as 'I visited a UK city as a tourist - but ended up living in a cult for 20 years', the former English teacher and ex-BK Anthea Church has written a novel inspired by her experiences within the Brahma Kumaris called, Liftman (ISBN: 9781739254964). She discusses her "Dance of Devotion" with the BKs in an interview below.
It will be followed, later this Spring (2024) by a more autobiographical book called ‘Out of this World’.
As a tourist in 1980, shortly after graduating from Oxford University and aged only 20 years old, Anthea visited Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival Arts Fringe, and somehow ended up becoming indoctrinated in the BKs cult instead. She then spent the next 20 years within it, living in a shared house just along the road from the then headquarters, based in a residential property on St Gabriel's Road in Willesden Green.
As reported in various newspapers, Anthea's experience mirrors what we have come to recognise as a fairly predictable pattern of young people being preyed upon at a vulnerable time in their lives, of families divided and parents' concern about the loss of their children, of the exhaustion of BK lifestyle demands and loss of physical health, but a slightly different ending as when it came to leaving, she did not really think she was leaving, but just starting a new job.
Anthea has in the past had books published for the BKs, which she makes clear she never sought not received any financial gain from; and nor were they even often well respected by the org. A stalwart of the "arts department", she would be remembered for organising many amateur theatrical productions for them.
It's fair to say, that she was feted by the BK leadership for her skills and capacities, and was well loved by her peers, and so it's fair to say that she may well have a slightly more rosey recollection of BK experience than many of the taxi wallahs, chapati rollers and even errant Western Brothers on the frontlines of BK service. She admits that for the first 10 years or so she loved it, and was glad to be free of the mundane aspects of life, but later on ended up being unable to sleep at all and the exhaustion started to kick in.
However, moved by some very serious events that happened within the BK London centre, including the suicides of a Brother and Sister of one family, and the mistreatment of children from others within it, she does not stray away from controversy in the book. Although she makes it clear that the book itself is a fiction and not an account of any particular individual.
It will be followed, later this Spring (2024) by a more autobiographical book called ‘Out of this World’.
As a tourist in 1980, shortly after graduating from Oxford University and aged only 20 years old, Anthea visited Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival Arts Fringe, and somehow ended up becoming indoctrinated in the BKs cult instead. She then spent the next 20 years within it, living in a shared house just along the road from the then headquarters, based in a residential property on St Gabriel's Road in Willesden Green.
As reported in various newspapers, Anthea's experience mirrors what we have come to recognise as a fairly predictable pattern of young people being preyed upon at a vulnerable time in their lives, of families divided and parents' concern about the loss of their children, of the exhaustion of BK lifestyle demands and loss of physical health, but a slightly different ending as when it came to leaving, she did not really think she was leaving, but just starting a new job.
Anthea has in the past had books published for the BKs, which she makes clear she never sought not received any financial gain from; and nor were they even often well respected by the org. A stalwart of the "arts department", she would be remembered for organising many amateur theatrical productions for them.
It's fair to say, that she was feted by the BK leadership for her skills and capacities, and was well loved by her peers, and so it's fair to say that she may well have a slightly more rosey recollection of BK experience than many of the taxi wallahs, chapati rollers and even errant Western Brothers on the frontlines of BK service. She admits that for the first 10 years or so she loved it, and was glad to be free of the mundane aspects of life, but later on ended up being unable to sleep at all and the exhaustion started to kick in.
“It was incredibly magical at the beginning. I liked the certainty, the clarity and the structure.”
However, moved by some very serious events that happened within the BK London centre, including the suicides of a Brother and Sister of one family, and the mistreatment of children from others within it, she does not stray away from controversy in the book. Although she makes it clear that the book itself is a fiction and not an account of any particular individual.