Eliska Tanzer was born in Slovakia into a very unusual family. Her mother’s family were Romany sex workers, while her largely absent father was a Nazi sympathiser. The local school refused to educate her because of her heritage, so Eliska grew up illiterate. When she was 13, Eliska was trafficked into Britain, where despite suffering exploitation and sexual violence, she was able to gain an education and become a writer. She spoke to Jo Fidgen about her life.

This programme contains descriptions of child exploitation and sexual violence which some listeners may find distressing.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this programme, you can find details of organisations offering information and support at this address: bbc.co.uk/actionline

Producer: Thomas Harding Assinder

Photo: Getty Images