John Corcoran grew up in the US during the 1940s and 50s. As a kid, John was really looking forward to going to school like his older siblings. But once he got there, he realised he had a problem: he couldn’t learn to read or write. John felt demoralised and degraded, but he kept his secret for more than 40 years. During that time he managed to finish school, graduate and he even became a high school teacher. How did he do it?

This episode was first broadcast on 14 April, 2018.

Producer: Alice Gioia

Presenter: Maryam Maruf

Image: books with letters flying off the page

Credit: efks/Getty Images