LESS than three years ago, Sabrina Drew signed up for an adult literacy course as she was unable to read or write - today she’s a fully fledged author.

She has since published ‘The White Giant’ based on her grandmother Mavis Bull’s reminiscences of her childhood.

At the age of 35, the Ruardean mother of four, was trapped in her own inability to understand the written word - until she met FRED.

FRED is the Forest Read Easy Deal adult literacy programme which offers one to one coaching in reading through a network of volunteer coaches.

Sabrina took to her lessons like a duck to water and soon was not just reading but putting her ideas down on paper.

“My gran started writing about her childhood and I sort of took it over,” said Sabrina. “Sadly she died before it was finished.

“It was quite difficult to do, but I had an awful lot of help from my FRED tutor Katrina Cracknell."

Sabrina’s story is a textbook narrative of how lack of literacy can isolate sufferers from society and even from their own family.

“It was horrible,” she said. “I couldn’t read bedtime stories to my children or even help them with their homework.

Sheila Priest, FRED co-ordinator said: “Sabrina has done absolutely brilliantly - it is very unusual to actually publish a book. Obviously she has ben given a huge amount of support from Katrina.”