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David Challen

@davidchallen.bsky.social

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · May 16

What a moment.
I never imagined holding my own book.

For years I gave voice to others, but this is the first time I’ve told my own.

This is the story of what it took to name abuse and what led to…

The Unthinkable
Out 5 June 2025

🧍🏼👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
Pre-order ➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

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Reposted by David Challen

The Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) @eidaorg.bsky.social · Aug 4

My mum killed my dad. We took years to uncover the life of abuse she endured at his hands. 10 years since coercive control became a crime, conviction rates remain abysmal at 1%. - EIDA Ambassador @davidchallen.bsky.social shares his experience of #domesticabuse in @theobserveruk.bsky.social

David Challen: the torment that drove my mother to kill m...

The writer reflects on a crime which shaped his own life, 10 years after coercive control was made a crime

observer.co.uk

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Aug 3

Ours was the kind of family no one suspected. But behind closed doors, the harm escalated until it changed all our lives forever. Ten years on from coercive control becoming a crime, how far have we come? My piece in @observeruk.bsky.social

David Challen: the torment that drove my mother to kill m...

The writer reflects on a crime which shaped his own life, 10 years after coercive control was made a crime

observer.co.uk

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 19

I have NEVER said that I am relieved my mum killed my dad.

This is a very clear distortion of my words and it is actual putrid bile.

I have contacted the Daily Mirror.

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 14

The Unthinkable has already reached more people than I ever imagined.

Thank you to every reader who’s messaged, shared and told me this helped them name what they went through.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞

🧍🏼👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
Out Now ➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 14

I’m also acutely wary of how male role model conversations, whether you like it or not, can often devalue the idea that men raised by single parent mothers can (and regularly do) become empathetic valuable members of society that thrive.

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 14

Grateful for men like Gareth progressing this discussion. Vital to note however that we can’t build better masculinity in silos. My empathy, like many men’s, came from women. Role models help, but this work must be done with women, not apart from them.

Gareth Southgate: ‘The need for mentorship has never been...

A lack of positive male role models means too many young men are falling behind. How do we fix the problem?

observer.co.uk

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 14

The Unthinkable is journey of a child excavating his own past, and his mother’s before him, to give an understanding to an unthinkable act of violence, so it never happens again.

🧍🏼👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
The Unthinkable - OUT NOW
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 14

My mum killed my dad after decades of his abuse. I fought to set her free. But once I did, I realised I needed to free myself too.

I spoke with @mrjamesob.bsky.social about my book #TheUnthinkable + the unseen impact of coercive control on children.

🎧 Listen ➡️ www.globalplayer.com/catchup/lbc/...

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 14

“I had no idea Mum had a little plastic stool behind the passenger seat and intended to drive to Beachy Head… and throw herself off.”

This week, The Mail serialised my memoir The Unthinkable, the story to free my mother Sally Challen, and then myself.
➡️ archive.ph/2025.06.11-0...

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 11

Huge thanks to the @glamour.com editorial team for picking #TheUnthinkable as one their must-read’s this month!

‘David dedicated his life to sharing his mother's story – now it's time to listen to his.’

11 best new books you need to read in June 2025, according to GLAMOUR editors

Get ahead of #BookTok.

www.glamourmagazine.co.uk

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Reposted by David Challen

The Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) @eidaorg.bsky.social · Jun 9

Any UK employer can become EIDA members for free. Membership gives your organisation access to the tools and resources needed to take effective action on #domesticabuse. This includes a domestic abuse policy template, legal guidance, and communications resources. www.eida.org.uk/membership

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Reposted by David Challen

The Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) @eidaorg.bsky.social · Jun 9

We are kicking off our BlueSky journey by introducing EIDA: We are a UK charity and membership network for employers. Our mission is for every UK employer to take effective action on #domesticabuse. DA affects 1 in 5 employees in the UK, and we can all play a part in changing that.

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 9

Glad more print runs are underway!
Blown away by the messages and responses so far to The Unthinkable, a book that’s fast become meaningful with many who’ve reached out. This is what it’s all about.

🧍🏼👫🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
#TheUnthinkable
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 5

I’ve also written a short reflection this morning on what it took to write The Unthinkable. It’s about absence, fear, and finally handing my story over...

On Subtack NOW.
➡️ open.substack.com/pub/davidcha...

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 5

Happy publication day to…

The Unthinkable!!!
📚 🎉 🥂📚🎉 🥂

My mum killed my dad, I helped free her from prison. This is the story I walked, and what it cost.

I never thought I’d write it and now, it’s out in the world!

🧍🏼👫🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
🚨 Order NOW!
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 4

#TheUnthinkable is out TOMORROW and just made the top 100 books on Amazon!

🖤🤍🖤🤍

🧍🏼👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
Pre-order ➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

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Reposted by David Challen

Maya Oppenheim @mayaoppenheim.bsky.social · Jun 2

2025's political climate is wreaking havoc on online dating. My time on the dating apps opened my eyes to this.

I've written about this for @mashable.com in a story which includes personal anecdotes & interviews with experts & women with first-hand experience 💘📱

mashable.com/article/2025...

2025's political climate is wreaking havoc on online dating

More women are refusing to date men with opposing political beliefs.

mashable.com

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 2

So lovely to catch up with Ranvir Singh on Lorraine this morning to talk about #TheUnthinkable. Hearing from early readers who’ve been deeply moved by the book means everything. It makes my journey to write it worth it.

📺 Catch-up here ➡️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Ni...

David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 2

‘David wrote the book [The Unthinkable] to “give voice to what it’s like to grow up in a home where domestic abuse wasn’t the word – it was coercive control and it didn’t appear on my TV screens”.’

But, a decade on, "we're not tackling it enough", he added.

'Mum killed dad with a hammer but I fought for years to free her"

David Challen says abuse was "normalised" in his home before his mother killed his father.

www.bbc.com

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 1

The Unthinkable is out THURSDAY.

📚 Pre Order Now
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 1

I sat down with The Sunday Times to talk about The Unthinkable, my memoir of surviving coercive control, fighting to free my mother, and giving voice to the children who grow up unseen inside abusive homes.

Dad wasn’t a monster, but I don’t blame my mother for killing him

The son of Sally Challen, who bludgeoned her controlling and abusive husband to death, says writing a book helped him come to terms with what he saw

www.thetimes.com

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · Jun 1

Ahead of my interview with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, we spoke about my memoir The Unthinkable - about coercive control and why we still aren’t doing enough to confront this violence.

It airs this morning 9am, on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, BBC One.

📚 #TheUnthinkable is out THURSDAY.

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · May 31

Catch me on Laura Kuenssberg tomorrow where I’ll be talking about my book The Unthinkable, out Thursday.
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · May 30

“There’s mental scars which are so difficult to heal.”

A decade since coercive control became a crime, survivors are still left with scars no one sees.

🔺 Sussex: 7,000+ reports, just 3% charged

🔺 Surrey: 3,000+ reports, just 7% charged

This is why I continue to speak out.
Unacceptable failure ⬇️

Coercive control remains major issue in South East

The BBC looks into prosecution rates 10 years after coercive control became a criminal offence.

www.bbc.com

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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · May 29

Mel’s support has meant so much since we met during my campaign to free my mother. Recognising me in the cloak room of a fundraiser, she called out my name then proceed to sit me down and ask what she could do to change things.

She knew everything about our story, and her empathy blew me away 💜