Writer living in a Houseboat in Battersea writes about gentrification in his non-fiction piece
David Waterhouse and his hidden London urban Community
Battersea Anthology aims to raise profiles of writers associated with the Battersea and Nine Elms area, and foster a strong artistic spirit and community. Learn more about David’s work and his literary pursuit in this interview.
Tideway Village and David’s boats.
Q: Hi David, can you give us a brief introduction of your writing journey and how you ended up on the houseboat village in Battersea/Nine Elms?
I had always wanted to be a writer but had wandered away from an opportunity after University to pursue other adventures. Twenty-two years later my journey took me to London where - while looking for somewhere to live - I discovered the Battersea Barge and made it my first houseboat accommodation. This turned out to be the first step in the creation of Tideway Village, a group of three houseboats in the nearby Tideway Dock. In 2020, with the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, I finally found time to return to the idea of writing. It took me a year to write A Houseboat on the Thames, but it kept me busy and entertained during that bleak period.
Q: As you know, Battersea Anthology is all about the community. How do you feel Tideway Village contributes to the uniqueness of the Battersea and Nine Elms area?
Cities should be all about communities. If you’re going to criticise modern developments in London, one of the most obvious deficiencies is often the lack of planning in creating or sustaining communities. Tideway Village, rather like Vauxhall’s Bonnington Square is a wonderful example of a local community springing out of a neglected wasteland. Given an opening people will create communities themselves. I feel Tideway Village is an inspiration for what can be achieved in the Battersea and Nine Elms area if you give people a chance. It’s a community that cares about its environment and contributes to its culture.
Q: What prompt to start writing for Battersea Anthology? I know this is an excerpt from your book that you're about to publish. Can you tell us more about it?
A friend mentioned the competition and the fact that it was inspired by the idea of community.
Yes, Exile from Downing Street is one of the chapters in the book A Houseboat On the Thames that will be published shortly, both as a print edition and on Amazon Kindle. It is a factually faithful but humorous account of how, on arrival in London, I found a new way of life on the river when I moved onto a houseboat. The second half of the book is all about the extraordinary four-year battle fought by the residents of Tideway Village to preserve their moorings in the face of development.
Q: It's often said that it's easy to start a book, but hard to finish it. Is that your experience? How do you keep going?
I think I was very lucky to have a good story to tell. I had no problem with the structure, the story had a natural beginning, middle, and end. I think a work of fiction would have been much harder. The Pandemic was a perfect excuse for losing myself in the story and escaping from the grim realities on the news. Momentum seemed to build and without the interruption of a normal working life, I found no problem in keeping going.
Q: Can you share more about what your editing process was like? Did you write a first draft, and then have others look at your subsequent drafts? It will be very helpful to know about your process as self-publishing is a unique experience.
I wrote a first draft and went through it myself to make sure the humour in the story had the right balance, so it didn’t detract from the serious issues the book raises. I then submitted it to a professional editor I knew who made a few grammatical corrections and rephrased some sentences but thankfully, beyond that, left it alone.
Q: As your book is linked to other residents in the Tideway Village and the wider socio-political environment, and in particular, the regeneration of the Battersea Power Station area. How do you factor in the voices of others, especially with regard to other residents?
I have left the residents and characters in the story as themselves, I reprinted some of their emails and as accurately as I could replicated their words. Throughout the story, the feelings and frustrations of individuals are expressed as part of the drama that unfolds.
Q: A slight change of topic! What was your experience working with Battersea Anthology like - would you encourage others to write for the publication?
I enjoyed contributing to the Anthology. I had never entered a literary competition before and was a little nervous, but this just added to the excitement of it. With this experience, I would encourage others to contribute in the future. The idea of a publication celebrating the artistic output of the Battersea and Nine Elms area is creative itself, and an important foundation stone in the development of this community.
You can now buy David’s latest book here: A Houseboat On The Thames: And the battle to save Tideway Village.
