How I ended up on a small island

Narrative Non-Fiction Series | Writer - Performer | Brighton, UK
PeopleTalk Productions

Heather Taylor is a Canadian writer and actress who left the un-congested lands of Canada”s endless open prairies; where Albertans talk slower and enjoy more space: and traveled halfway around the world, choosing to live in one of the most crowded places on the planet, England.

This series highlights the strange and sometimes unexpected experiences of her new home while interacting with the local inhabitants; their strange customs and exotic architecture make Heather feel that she has stepped into a different world. She gives us, the listener an insight into her thoughts from the New World to her experiences of living in the old world of Shakespeare surrounded by millions of people.

• EPISODE 1 – The Beginnings: The first episode in the series, How I Ended up on a Small Island, highlights Heather’s journey from the prairies of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to the busy metropolis of London, England. Find out how she got here and why she decided to stay. Click here to listen.

• EPISODE 2: The Strange and Wonderful world of food: The second episode in the series, The Strange and Wonderful World of Food, highlights Heather’s experiences with British cuisine as a strict vegetarian and how she discovered what you call food determines where you’re from. Click here to listen.

• EPISODE 3 – Why I'm here instead of there: The third episode in the series, Why I’m Here Instead of There, explores the positive and negative aspects of moving to a new country on the other side of the world and why despite that, Heather still wants to stay. Click here to listen.

• EPISODE 4 – A Sporting Life: The fourth episode in the series, A Sporting Life, gives an insight into Heather’s theories on the difference between British and North American sports and what it was like to be in the thick of the crowd for her very first professional football match. Click here to listen.

• EPISODE 5 – Stuck in the middle of news: The fifth episode in the series details the experience of being in the middle of news events and moments that live in the history books. Click here to listen.

• EPISODE 6 – Going home: The sixth episode in the series is about going home for the first time and what it”s like to go back to the place of your birth. Click here to listen.

What listeners are saying:

I particularly enjoyed the first audio piece How I Ended up on a Small Island by Heather Taylor. She describes her new life in a foreign land in such a way that she brings it totally to life. I haven't been to England yet, but from her description, it has made me put it on my want-to-do list. I felt like I was listening to an old friend telling me about her life in a new country.
– George La Valle, Vegas. USA

Boy, “How I Ended up on a Small Island” was a dream to listen to and I felt like I was listening to a major broadcasting companies production. It was extremely interesting and I normally listen on my iPod, so that I can get on with the housework. But in this instance, I found that I was just standing in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and listening to Heather”s mesmerizing story. Can't wait to hear more of the same.
– Maria Luisa, Madrid, Spain

I was flicking through a listing of podcasts the other day, onboard ship using our satellite Internet link and I found Heather Taylor”s “How I Ended up on a Small Island” – sometimes funny, sometimes thought-provoking about what she said about one’s own country, and I enjoyed listening to her opinions about England through a Canadian”s experiences.
-Peter Jerry, somewhere in the Pacific onboard ship

There is a charming quality to Heather Taylor's story… even Heather's feel-good message about overcoming the trouble of moving thousands of miles away from one's home to a new country. It was a pleasure to listen to her self-awareness and success in fitting into her new life in a strange land … “How I Ended up on a Small Island” is often funny and seldom self-pitying… there’s much to recommend its humor, optimism, and insight.
-Job Charnak, an Anglo Indian from West Bengal

“How I Ended up on a Small Island” by Heather Taylor is a nice surprise on so many levels, she looks at England through a newcomer’s eye, it is funny, unusual, and insightful. By the end, I realized my own vision of my London had undergone a slight but permanent alteration; what I had taken for granted all this time. In fact, Heather Taylor”s illuminating and sometimes simple clear vision makes me miss my hometown.
-Jacqueline Clark, an ex-pat living in South Africa