Shy: A Memoir by Sian Prior

Shy is a creative mish-mash of journalism and memoir that offers up rich insight into a temperament trait that can both enhance and detract the lives of those who possess it.

Sian Prior provides a remarkably candid account of how shyness has affected her life, as well as the strategies she has employed over the years to combat it. Adopting a façade she dubs ‘Professional Sian’ has allowed her to maintain a career in the public eye as an environmental campaigner, journalist, broadcaster, teacher, and musician. But over time this rebellion against her own shyness has taken a physical toll. That’s because shyness isn’t a lifestyle choice – it’s an inborn behavioural style that is intimately tied to the fight-or-flight survival mechanism.

Prior explores the many social and biological forces that pull at and push the naturally shy. She weaves in and out of her own personal experiences to highlight and expand on more formal descriptions. It came in handy that her mother was a psychologist and was an understanding ally but, despite this, Prior clearly has a great deal of ambivalence about the trait. You get the feeling that the cathartic process of writing this has still not expelled all the negative cultural judgements she’s received over a lifetime of being shy.

There is no redemptive resolution or acceptance of the author’s shyness in the closing chapters, nor is there a prescription offered to redress the perceived social inadequacies of the shy or guidance on how to alleviate the distress of those afflicted with more than a fair share of trembling, blushing, or social anxiety. Despite this, and probably because of this, it’s a great read - its deeply personal and throws light on a subject that is often a private and solitary struggle.  Hopefully, it makes a contribution to society rethinking its intolerance towards shyness - surely we should accept people wherever they are on the bold-shy spectrum.  As a memoir, it provokes the reader to reflect on their own life and encourages us to remember that we all experience life with a vulnerable intensity that is belied by our exterior, whether it be aloof, calm, or confident.  Shy is well-crafted, insightful, and gently upbeat.

Posted by Spot

Catalogue Link: Shy: A Memoir