Neurodivergent and queer author on purging Llanelli memories

Joshua recalled being “a very restless child, a restless teenager in a place that felt very static, unmoving”.

“I think quite a lot of young people feel the same, they feel trapped and feel stifled,” he said.

“As a neurodivergent and queer person I didn’t have the space to express that or explore it in a safe and welcoming way.”

Joshua, 27, who is autistic, was not given a diagnosis until his early 20s and said he also has undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), external.

“My school reports said ‘Josh is really, really bright and really, really clever, I wish he could sit still, I wish he would pay attention’,” he said.

“Usually I would be paying attention but because I was drumming my fingers against the table or sort of rocking back and forth in my chair they’d think that I wanted to be anywhere else, but no, I was really engaged.”