Meleeze Zenda was born in Harlow, Essex, where he lived for thirteen years. It was a happy childhood. He later moved to St Helens, where he remained for many years and eventually settled. The adjustment did not go well, and he was struck down by madness. A few working years followed: four years as a wood machinist, then time as a factory worker and a roofer. After five years of college, everything collapsed as his mind became disturbed by millions of voices. The church offered no relief; he was immersed in it for five years, and after the dissolution of his first marriage, he found himself in Rainhill Hospital, where he endured years of medication and medical negligence. His third wife then appeared, and thirty years later they are still together.