Veteran journalist shines light on controversial figure in new book
“He had a very difficult and traumatising childhood which I think is when he developed his gift.”
Seasoned journalist and writer Yolanda Barnard-Lemmer decided to use her talents to write the life story of ‘siener’ [clairvoyant] Gerald Burger.
Burger has been a controversial figure for many years and Barnard-Lemmer hopes the book’s key insights on the man will help bring people to an understanding.
She kept in constant contact with Burger over the four months it took her to write the book.
What motivated you to write this book?
When I worked as a journalist for the tabloids we did a lot of stories on the supernatural and it is something that has always been very fascinating to me.
I have known Burger for a very long time and he personally asked me to write his biography.
He gave me complete freedom in telling his story and I visited him every day to listen to his story.
How did you go about doing research for the book?
I had the pleasure of accompanying him to two haunted houses where I could see him in action.
In one house, he made a special mixture to get rid of whatever was in that house.
I saw his eyes glaze up and he becomes extremely still, it was really incredible to see him at work.
How did you prepare for the potential backlash or controversy you will face after publishing this book?
When you’ve been a journalist for as long as I have you get used to it, so I know what I’m in for.
What was your process when writing this book?
I wrote six to seven hours every day for four months.
I spent most of the time just talking to him and some of his close friends.
Are there aspects of his life that you write about in the book that many people are maybe not aware of?
He had a very difficult and traumatising childhood which I think is when he developed his gift.
His parents were extremely poor and he had to share a bed with three other boys.
There was also unfortunately a lot of abuse in his younger life.
I also explore parts of his personality that many people don’t know about, including his life as a gay man and how that affected his life.
Also Read: Veteran journalist Jos Charle passes away
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