Liz Fenwick, Writer, Wife, Mother Of Three
/What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Aside from the family ones…writing books that touch readers hearts.
What motivates you to do what you do?
I have a huge need to tell stories especially about women – past and present. How do women survive when confronted by things they never imagined? I hope that by telling these stories in an entertaining and readable way I can reach out and let people know they are not alone.
What do you owe your mother?
My stubbornness, my belief that if I worked hard enough I could do what I wanted to and most importantly that love isn’t about the words but how you demonstrate it.
Which women inspire you and why?
So many it’s hard to chose. But my current hero is Isobel Abulhoul who founded the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. She saw the need to increase literacy in the Middle East and to build bridges between cultures. She felt books were the best way and I agree.
What are you reading?
Cornwall in the Great Civil War by Mary Coate.
What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?
When I was younger it was being assessed on my appearance and not my brain. In my first job after university a wise woman said to me that my looks would open any door but only my brain would keep it open. I hope that my daughter will not have to use her looks in that way and will be judged on merit alone.
How can the world be made a better place for women?
Respect. I think the world has lost the notion of respect in its rush to achieve many things. Now that some battles have been fought and nearly won can we have a little quiet respect back?
Describe your perfect day?
Coffee in my garden before everyone is awake, a few hours writing then into the boat to enjoy the Helford with a good book while my husband fishes, cooking the catch and enjoying my garden again….
We've noticed there really aren’t many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you see remembered?
That’s a tough question as I think the women of Cornwall have been focused on surviving in a challenging environment rather than changing the rest ofthe world. Cornwall, especially in the past, was a harsh place to live so I would love to see a statue celebrating all Cornish women from the fishwives to the Bal Maidens to those who served in both wars to the current day…
Give us a tip?
As I’m a writer I’ll give you my best writing tip. Listen to your work whether you have a trusted friend read it to you or have the computer do it with text to voice software. It gives you distance from the words and helps you to experience it as a reader and not as someone who knows everything that is and isn’t on the page.
Award winning author of The Returning Tide, The Cornish House, A Cornish Affair, A Cornish Stranger and Under A Cornish Sky. After ten international moves, She's a bit of a global nomad. It’s no wonder her heart remains in Cornwall. Her books are available in Dutch, Germany, Portuguese, French, Estonia, Norwegian Danish, Turkish, Swedish, Latvian, Serbian and Czech.