A journey from 1973, breaking my neck at 15, to breaking free from expectations.
I write because my life has never followed a straight line. Since a rugby accident shattered my body and the future everyone had mapped out for me. My memoirs trace the path from the weight of expectations, school, marriage, family, career, the tidy boxes society builds, through the collapse of that life, the reinvention of myself in a foreign culture, and ultimately, the realisation that true peace begins with acceptance.
Book by book, I share what I’ve learned:
That no matter how hard you try, you can’t live the life others expect of you.
That starting over isn’t failure—it’s freedom.
And that true peace comes when you stop wrestling with the world and simply become the person you already are.
Roger Warner
Author of Memoirs, Poetry & Life Stories
“Even with tigers chasing me and mice at my feet, I’ll always reach for the strawberry.”
Welcome to my world of words. My writing is born from a life lived with both struggle and joy, navigating disability, survival, and the search for freedom. Through my memoirs, I share the lessons I’ve learned about resilience, love, and the power of embracing life’s sweet moments, no matter how small.
I’m the author of Life’s a Strawberry, You Can’t Eat Love, and my upcoming memoir No Wisdom Without Suffering. Each book is rooted in my belief that no matter what hardships we face, there’s always a “strawberry” worth tasting—a moment of beauty, joy, or meaning.
My First Book
Life’s a Strawberry (Memoir #1)
“When the future laid out for you collapses, what comes next?”
This first memoir follows my younger self, a man trying to fit into the blueprint society laid out: marriage, children, a stable career, a house to call home. But life doesn’t always respect our plans. Life’s a Strawberry is the story of what happens when that neatly drawn future collapses, and you’re forced to ask: Who am I, really, when all of that is stripped away?Inspired by the Zen fable of the strawberry, this book is about choosing to taste the sweetness of life even when chased by the tigers of the past and the mice of the present.
Memoir Three
Already There
My Third Book Now in Progress
Already There (Memoir #3 – Coming Soon)
“Perhaps the things we spend our lives searching for are already there. We just have to stop long enough to see them.”
For much of my life, I believed happiness was something waiting somewhere ahead, a problem to solve, a battle to win, a business to build, a person to save, or another destination to reach. I had survived disability, success and failure, love and loss, prison and starting again. Yet some of the most important lessons came not from those extraordinary events, but from the Buddhist culture that surrounded me during my years in Thailand and from the quiet wisdom of monks I met along the way.
I began to understand that we cannot control other people, however much we love them. We cannot prevent every loss or change what has already happened. And sometimes the hardest thing to let go of is our belief that life will finally become perfect once we have fixed everything around us.
Already There is about learning to let go of that struggle.
It is about becoming comfortable with who you are rather than who other people expect you to be. About measuring success less by what you own or achieve and more by the people around you, the lives you touch and the moments you actually notice.
Ten years after a Buddhist monk first helped change the direction of my life, I finally began to understand something remarkably simple.
The strawberry had been there all along.
You Can’t Eat Love
(Memoir #2)
“Rebuilding a life on the other side of the world.”
This second memoir is about reconstruction, starting life number two, with new parameters, new dreams, and new challenges. Set in Thailand, it’s the story of carving out an identity in a foreign culture, building businesses from scratch, and facing love and betrayal with both courage and humour.It’s about the struggle of not knowing exactly who I was, or where I was going, but pressing forward anyway.
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They’ve Lived It Through My Words
Real readers, real reflections—honest responses to the stories and struggles that shaped my journey
TESTIMONIALS
What They Say About My Books ?
Review - You Can’t Eat Love
The challenges, success, despair and finally fear!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2025
This is the second book and I was hooked again by this guy’s life on a merry go around! It has it all love, despair, success and fear. In fact I sat up until 5.50am this morning to finish the book. An interesting insight to starting a life as an expat in Thailand and trying to succeed in a different culture especially as a physically challenged individual due to his accident as a teenager. Well worth a read I can recommend it.
Olive Oil
Review - You Can’t Eat Love
A fantastic read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 September 2025
A fascinating book demonstrating the strength of character to not only survive but to flourish in an alien environment. The story takes the reader on a roller coaster ride from the first to the last page. The author shows that a never give up attitude is a lesson we could all adopt. I very much looking forward to the next book. A highly recommended read.
Amazon Customer
Inspirational!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 July 2025
Life’s a Strawberry is a brilliant read that will inspire you to fulfill your desires in life The writers determination and will to succeed through adversity is truly inspiring.
I look forward to reading, You Can’t Eat Love, the next episode.
By Peter Foreman
Interesting and humbling
Life’s a Strawberry is a really interesting and humbling read.
The courage and determination of the author has made me realise that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
By Carol Yardley
Positive attitude
The author shows throughout the book, Life’s a Strawberry, that if you have the right positive attitude,
anything is achievable. He shows a fierce determination to overcome life's problems from a young & difficult age.
A very humbling read.
By Celia Tull, Amazon Customer
Finding Joy In Things, A Heartfelt Journey
I had a chance to read the ebook of "Life’s a Strawberry" by Roger Warner, and it turned out to be a delightful surprise.
From the first page, I was drawn into the warmth and humor of the story. Warner has this wonderful way of capturing the little moments
that make life beautiful, often using strawberries as a metaphor for joy and fleeting happiness.
The protagonist feels like someone you might meet in your own life, flawed, relatable, and searching for meaning in everyday chaos.
I found myself laughing and reflecting on my own experiences as I read. There’s a perfect balance of light-heartedness and depth
that really resonated with me.
One moment that stood out was when Roger faced a tough situation but managed to find humor in it.
It reminded me of times in my own life when I’ve had to do the same. Warner’s ability to find the bright side in challenging moments is inspiring.
Overall, "Life’s a Strawberry" is a book that invites you to slow down and appreciate the little things.
If you’re looking for a read that’s both uplifting and thought-provoking, I highly recommend it.
It’s a reminder to savor life’s sweet moments, just like a fresh strawberry.
By Yasmin
This memoir, ‘Life’s. A Strawberry’, is a beautifully honest, uplifting journey through hardship, healing, and hope. The author’s vulnerability and strength shine on every page, offering a reminder that even in our darkest moments, growth and grace are possible. It's the kind of story that stays with you long after the last page, quietly powerful, deeply human, and ultimately inspiring.
By Amy Victoria
PREVIEW – You Can’t Eat Love
Having read Life’s a Strawberry the first volume of the life of my dear friend Roger
Warner and loved it, it meant reliving Roger’s accident which was hard. Roger’s writing
bought it all vividly to life again. I have waited patiently for volume 2 – You Can’t Eat
Love and it hasn’t disappointed. Roger’s life in Thailand came to life with all its light and
colour and of course its dark side. The book is so well written I lived it with him. Now I
have to wait while Roger writes the next installment – get writing Mr Warner.
By Deborah Stokes
REVIEW – Life's a Strawberry
Roger Warner's "Life's a Strawberry" is a powerful memoir detailing his journey after suffering a severe spinal injury as a boy. This isn't just a story of physical recovery; it's a testament to the human spirit's incredible capacity for resilience and hope.
Warner bravely recounts the immediate aftermath of his accident, revealing the raw pain and frustration with unflinching honesty. Yet, his narrative quickly shifts to the arduous process of rehabilitation, where his remarkable determination shines through. He beautifully articulates the challenges of redefining identity and purpose, transforming a devastating event into a compelling story of growth and rediscovery.
This memoir offers a deeply personal and inspiring look at overcoming immense adversity. Warner's candid voice, coupled with moments of unexpected humor, makes "Life's a Strawberry" a truly impactful read, demonstrating that even after life's hardest blows, a new and meaningful future is always possible.
By Mike Bridge
REVIEW – You Can’t Eat Love
Just finished book 2. You certainly ranked up the storty in this edition. Seems almost surreal....James Bond springs to mind. The characters come alive off the page. Looking forward to book 3. Well done and thank you for teaching me how to work out the Thai years (Buddhist Calendar), 2025 + 543 =2,568.
By Mike Bridge
Memoir Photo Albums
“Behind the Words – My Life in Pictures”
Every story is made up of moments, some captured in memory, others frozen in time by a single photograph. These albums are not just collections of images, but visual chapters that complement my memoirs. They show the places I’ve lived, the people who’ve shaped my journey, and the landscapes—both beautiful and challenging—that have defined my life.
Just as my books are built on honesty and reflection, these photos open a window into the raw and unpolished moments behind the stories. Explore the galleries connected to each book:
