Sarah Tagholm - Children's Author in Cornwall

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I had been an aspiring children's writer for years, and my son watched me receive rejection after rejection, but I didn't give up and in 2020 I bagged five book deals with three different publishers and a brilliant agent. I feel happy that he witnessed that climb, that in at least one way, I set him a good example!

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

I love writing so I don't need any motivation to do it. I have always needed a creative outlet and tried many different paths, but with writing, I enjoy the unexpectedness of meeting whatever has been creeping around my brain when it crawls out onto the paper.

3. What do you owe your mother?

My mum is an unfailingly cheery and friendly woman with a huge amount of energy despite being almost 70. I think I inherited her optimistic outlook, which has been a true gift to me throughout my life.

4. Which women inspire you and why?

SO MANY women inspire me... Tove Jansson's phenomenal creativity and imagination – the way she captured the most mundane moments in life and made them heartwarming and hilarious.

Margaret Atwood's incredible intellect, I wish she were running the world right now – we certainly wouldn't be in the mess we are if she were.

Coming from a working class background myself, I have huge respect for Cornwall's Natasha Carthew – founder of The Working Class Writers Festival and champion of working class women.

And of course Melissa Hardie of the Hypatia Trust – what a brain! What drive and ambition - she flung shit in the face of no – there was nothing she couldn't get done, I miss her so much already.

5. What are you reading?

I always have a few books on the go... one in the lounge - Fathoms by Rebecca Giggs, a non fiction about whales. One by the bed – Glimpses of The Unknown, part of a collection called Tales Of The Weird by the British Library, I'm always drawn to the bizarre. A few on the table where I write – folklore and mythology mostly – they help plug my brain into a socket of limitless imagination.

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

This question is the hardest one for all of us I think, because really there have been so many, an endless track of hurdles looping infinitely around the world. One example was when my school began arranging work experience for our class....

‘What would you like to do for work experience Sarah? I'd like to do plumbing. Hmmm, well we can get you work experience as a receptionist at a plumbers, none of the plumbers want to take a girl on – it would be too distracting for them wouldn't it.’

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

Education for all girls, and women represented at the top alongside the men in every single area – gender parity.

8. Describe your perfect day?

A flat sea, like blue velvet, stretching out in front of my kakak. Exploring a new stretch of the wild Cornish coastline, maybe a seal or cetacean dropping by for company. Lunch and a dip on a deserted beach. Back home to read on the sofa in a quiet house. Then dinner cooked by my husband Hugo with our son Darwin and the three of us on the sofa watching an epic like Lord Of The Rings or Dune, though Hugo would be snoozing – he doesn't believe in dragons - poor thing!

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

I'd love to see one for all of our Grandmothers, and those before them, hard working women who spent every day scrubbing the floors, washing the clothes and making do and mending for nothing more than the love of their families.

10. Give us a tip?

I think maybe, just really, go at it hard.

There's a book in the Hypatia Elizabeth Treffry Collection and I have never forgotten what it said about its author – a woman whose name I embarrassingly cannot recall, but she was described as ‘a great woman of genius in the art of living.’

I loved that, it really stuck with me, and I think it's a wonderful thing to aspire to do – to live well - to do as much of the things you love with the people you love, because really, it's all over in a flash isn't it?

Sarah Tagholm is a children's author who loves writing about confused animals, mischievous children and all things bizarro. She is passionate about encouraging a love of reading, libraries and availability of books for all children. Sarah lives with her family in Cornwall, where they spend so much time in the sea it's a wonder they haven't grown gills! Her debut, Wolves In Helicopters, publishes on Thursday 1st September - you can see it here:

Wolves in Helicopters by Sarah Tagholm | Signed & Dedicated Pre-order – Falmouth Bookseller

and of course it's available in Waterstones, WHSMITH, Amazon etc too.

“Wolves in Helicopters tackles nightmares head on with one fiercely brave little bunny and the love of her mother. Can Hop find a way to escape the wolves in her nightmares, even if they chase her in helicopters? Mummy thinks so...”

Leanna Cox - Social Prescribing Link Worker

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Definitely getting my BSc Social Science Degree in my mid 30’s whilst going through a particularly difficult period of my life. Never in a million years did I ever think I was capable of gaining a degree. Also, I am finally working in a job where I can make a difference every day. I love my job as a Social Prescribing Link Worker. During the past two years in the pandemic many more people have needed help and support and being able to actively help them is so rewarding.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

Having been through my own personal troubles in the past, overcoming them and now living a happy and fulfilled life I love being able to give back and help people access the support they need to increase their health and wellbeing and live their life to the full, to build their confidence and reach their potential.

3. What do you owe your mother?

The belief that I can do whatever I desire. Also, my attention to detail and organisational skills (we are both Virgo’s!)

4. Which women inspire you and why?

Emmeline Pankhurst – Although she wasn’t perfect, she demanded equality for women as the leader of the suffragette movement. Her efforts led to the vote being granted to (some) women. She taught us to underestimate the power of a fearless woman at your peril.

5. What are you reading?

I am currently reading two books – ‘This is Going to Hurt’, By Adam Key, which is as hilarious as it is heart-breaking. And Brene Browns new book, ‘Atlas of the Heart’. I love Brene Brown.

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

Not sure if this comes under gender barrier but as a woman who does not have any children this seems to always raise opinions from people who feel they have the right to comment or give advice on this subject. This can be a sensitive issue for some and should not be a conversational free for all. I don’t see men going through the same clumsy and intrusive questioning.

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

I feel more education is needed to help change attitudes to different stages of life, be that in relation to having, or not having children to the menopause (what a minefield that is!). And the promotion of self-care without feeling guilty!

8. Describe your perfect day?

Ooh, a lie in followed by a cheeky bacon roll for breakfast. Then either a walk in the woods or on the beach with my amazing husband. Living in Cornwall there are so many wonderful places to visit on our doorstep. Being in nature grounds me and being a highly sensitive person, I need to escape the madness of the world regularly. Not being a huge fan of cooking, a nice takeaway would finish the day off perfectly!

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

Now that’s a question! To be honest I’m not sure statues are a good use of public money in this current economic climate. Money could be better spent on the increasing housing crisis in Cornwall.

10. Give us a tip?

I have a few tips for a happier life which I incorporate in my everyday life:

Avoid news overload

Keep company with good people

Express gratitude daily

Learn to say NO – still working on this one!

And Live, Laugh, Love - a cliche I know but I love it!

Leanna works as a Social Prescribing Link Worker helping people reduce health inequalities by supporting people to unpick complex issues affecting their wellbeing. Link Workers give people time, focusing on ‘what matters to me, take a holistic approach and work collaboratively with all local partners.

ASIST and Mental Health First Aid trained along with qualifications in Health and Wellbeing, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness and many more. Cornish born and bred, Leanna is passionate about supporting people struggling after the lockdowns with loneliness and social isolation to move forward again in their lives. Happily married with one cat enjoying the simple things in life.

Lizzi Larbalestier - Award Winning Blue Health Coach

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Everything I do is blue health related so whilst my business is a blue health coaching business, the volunteering activities I get involved with also link to protecting the marine environment - there is a natural symbiosis and what can appear separate pursuits are in fact intrinsically intertwined.

I am hugely proud of the ICF accredited blue health coach program Going Coastal Blue launched during 2020, having spent over twelve years developing this Coaching modality it is such a joy to share these skills with other Coaches. This is the first and currently only globally recognised professional coaching qualification that puts ocean-centric applied environmental psychology at the very heart of it. My husband and I received the Blue Mind Award in 2018 for demonstrating devotion to ocean health and marine life and that was quite an honour.

In respect of volunteering 2021 has been a high, receiving an award from BDMLR for outstanding contribution to the protection of marine wildlife. I project managed the build of Cornwall Seal Hospital during the summer having spent the previous winter caring for 139 seals at our home - a temporary hospital. Thankfully not all 139 were with us at the same time... and we of course had a team of amazing peers and volunteers who are equally committed to protecting seals. I also had the opportunity to spend five weeks on the Isles of Scilly playing a key role within a small team monitoring and supporting an arctic walrus who was lost - our actions undoubtedly enabled this magnificent animal to gain the strength required to safely return Northwards.

I guess when you ask about achievements nothing is ever achieved as an individual, so whilst aspects of the above were certainly led by myself, each achievement is the combination of the efforts and enthusiasm of many, and I have appreciated collaborating with some amazing people.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

I am in awe of our planet and the amazingly diverse life upon it. Even in my lifetime I have seen a shift in the health of our coastal locations and an increase in convenience purchasing and businesses making decisions that are not necessarily healthy ones for the long term health of our planet. I am motivated to enable coaching clients to truly consider the choices they make from a perspective of connection and to transcend the kind of goal setting that is simply for personal gain / power / acquisition etc. My dream is that we each become more consistently mindful of the compromises we make on a day to day basis and of course we are always weighing up pros and cons. I would love business leaders to recognise the interconnections of all things, and to show up in way that emphasises environmental, social, psychological and physical coherence.... oh and for the phrase work / life balance to be a thing of the past.

3. What do you owe your mother?

Well if you mean what am I grateful to my mother for... her love of the ocean, quick wit and dry humour is something I remember fondly. She was pretty complex and struggled with alcohol addiction making her inconsistent, and yet in the moments we saw the real Sally-Faith she was a beautiful soul who was extremely kind hearted. When she was diagnosed with a terminal illness back in late 2005, long held frustration relating to her volatile behaviour dissolved, becoming completely irrelevant. As an NLP Trainer the concept of people being more than the sum of their behaviour was all too familiar and yet the awakening and the depth of compassion I felt when facing the reality of mortality was something that fundamentally shifted my world view. I love my Mum, she had a lot of sadness in her life and I realise how comparatively simple the world I inhabit is. The loss of my Mum taught me to have gratitude for each day and growing up with a Mum whose mood was less than easy to navigate I am certain provided me with many of the life skills I rely on as a professional Coach.

4. Which women inspire you and why?

There are so many and so I have chosen three otherwise this will be a VERY long answer.

Dr Sylvia Earle is the first that comes to mind - a champion for the ocean and absolute powerhouse. Sylvia is somebody who leads from a place of compassion, is creative in the way she approaches engaging others to love and protect the marine environment and she is courageous in challenging those in power to wake up. Sylvia inspires me to learn more about the ocean and the circular economy and to lean into both the awe and sadness I feel when I connect with the marine environment and witness the plight of our seas. Embracing this non-duality keeps me focussed on what really matters and motivates me to do more to advocate for the ocean and marine life at every opportunity. ‘Protect what you love’ is at the core of Sylvia's work.

A good friend (who I haven't seen in ages, but time and distance does not reduce the love I have for this lady) Fiona Crump has supported action to reduce food poverty. Not only volunteering at the Cornwall food bank, last year when running her cafe business in Falmouth she decided to give away lunches to those in need during the school holidays. She led this initiative from a place of trust being a heart-led leader. I have such admiration for Fiona, she is kind and honest, and a great source of counsel when the mind is muddled. She is a role model for following your passion, problem solving and stepping into a place of action. An extremely authentic individual who I trust implicitly - Fiona inspires me to be fearless in my pursuit of the causes close to my heart.

Julie Starke is another great friend and such an inspiration, an excellent communicator she arrives at any conversation with an energy that is fully present and attentive, warm and seeking to explore and help. Julie is an ideas person and has been at the heart of some amazing and innovative projects not least bringing Blue Mind into a more collective consciousness. A queen of interpreting the zeitgeist and encouraging social and environmental conscience, Julie is observant, articulate and has a sharp sense of humour which is one of the many things I love about her. Above all Julie is one of the most empathic people I know, she celebrates others and lifts them up, she is truly collaborative. Much as Coaches are there to enable and elevate their clients as a creative consultant Julie can often be an unsung hero being exceptionally generous with her support and guidance. Julie inspires me to view the world as connected, to dial my ego down and to be innovative, considerate and connected in the way I approach any challenge.

Essentially... women who have a heart led purpose and are fluid yet tenacious in their pursuit of collective wellbeing seem to deeply inspire me.

5. What are you reading?

Plenty of academic papers at the moment, blue health and neuroscience related, plus some proof reading of a couple of peers books about NLP and coaching. I am re-reading Deep currently by James Nestor because I love the way James writes, his book Breathe is amazing too. I also was clearing out some books recently and got pulled back into re-reading a couple so these are not new but I am loving a book called One Consciousness (an analysis of the comedy of Bill Hicks) by Paul Outhwaite... and The Ocean is Alive (revisioning our relationship with the Ocean) by Glenn Edney.

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I haven't experienced a huge amount of these directly I don't believe. Of course I have come across behaviour of others that could be undermining if I allowed it to be (and this has not been limited to a gender dynamic - more a case of individuals). I think my formative years (despite going to an all girls grammar school), felt pretty gender neutral and I was encouraged to be independent, resilient and work hard for the causes I believe in. I'd say this year I came across a couple of situations where I was on the receiving end of actions from others (mainly men) that sought to intimidate and I have had other examples when working in very masculine dominated environments where a guy might speak past me to the other guy assuming "he" was in charge - but I largely found this amusing, the latter being an indicator of either lack of awareness due to social conditioning and the former coming from fear and insecurity.

Whilst not an awful lot phases me, I do often work with females who have felt their voice has been unheard or their potential limited through gender barriers. With these coaching clients I seek to build their sense of self and align their decision making so that they can show up fully in the world and shine a lot more brightly. I like to think of people as individuals, male / female / non binary / however people self define. There is certainly work to do around equality in a much broader sense of course.

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

Female energy brings with it a high degree of empathy and as a water lover there is a natural fluidity to this. I love spending time with my girl friends and my male friends who have a lot of feminine energy. The opposite is true also, I love coaching guys and women with a lot of masculine energy - imbalance can provoke the most profound conversations and insights.

I have a non-dualistic world view and see that all is understood through contrast. A world without women is thought and consciousness without energy and creation, (for those into Tantric cosmology), or Yang without Yin if Chinese philosophy is your thing.

The world can be made better for ALL (including women) by acknowledging and valuing complementarity, by encouraging greater compassion, by shining a light on those who may not not see their light themselves and recognising that our very nature wills us to be connected and collaborative for the health of ourselves and the planet.

8. Describe your perfect day?

I quite love imperfect days, days that offer a bit of edge, and a chance to learn and grow.

A gentle or super enjoyable day might involve spending some time with wildlife. Perhaps a swim where some seals come and say hi, or a walk at the coast with my hubs Julian and our doggo Goose. The weather can be whatever it is, but the ocean is a given - since the best days involve time in and near wild water. Seven Bays is a very happy place for me - Treyarnon and Constantine Bay particularly.

I enjoy days where I can be of service - so days when called out to help wildlife can be distressing but also rewarding - rare days like successfully refloating a stranded dolphin is always a heart awakening experience - although I'd rather they don't get in trouble of course. But the sense of teamwork and camaraderie is palpable. Running big community beach cleans as an SAS Rep, or recovering massive ghostnets in my role with ghostnetbusters is also something I love doing and a great way to spend a day feeling you have made a difference with like minded and like hearted people.

Pretty much days involving water, wildlife, lovely people and a sense of purpose and service.

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

Is there a statue of Rowena Cade? She is a bit of a legend for sure and I love how her tenacity created a space for the arts that so beautifully respects and celebrates the nature around it. Her story has so many lessons for women.

10. Give us a tip?

We ARE the environment we inhabit... please look after the ocean.

Lizzi Larbalestier is an award-winning Blue Health Coach and environmental activist based in Perranporth, Cornwall. She created the ICF accredited blue health coach program with Going Coastal Blue, the first and currently only globally recognised professional coaching qualification that puts ocean-centric applied environmental psychology at the very heart. She and her husband received the Blue Mind Award in 2018 for demonstrating devotion to ocean health and marine life.

Carolyn Kennett - Astronomer, Writer and Researcher

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

This is a really hard one to answer, in my personal life bringing up my son to be the amazing adult he has become. In my working life becoming a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS) and was part of a team that got Dark Skies Status for West Cornwall.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

A love of the outdoors is my main motivation and wanting to share my passion for nature, the sky and ancient history with people. I am particularly blessed to have been able to follow my passions as a job.

3. What do you owe your mother?

Determination and love.

4. Which women inspire you and why?

Historically women who followed their passion in astronomy found themselves in a male-dominated world with lots of barriers and didn't let themselves be discouraged from following their passions. Such as Caroline Herschel who made pioneering contributions to the field in the late 1700s and early 1800s. In addition women such as Mary Proctor who was a writer and populariser of astronomy, wrote many children's books on the subject and made her money by speaking very eloquently often visiting town after town, night after night to earn a living.

5. What are you reading?

I've just started A natural history of the hedgerow by John Wright.

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

Astronomy is a field that traditionally is male, there are great strives to attract more women into the field of study and this is thankfully happening, all be it at a slow pace. I think like many women entering a male-dominated field of work there have been moments where things haven't been as equal as one would hope, but I have never felt anything but positivity from being involved in this area of work.

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

Removal of any forms of violence against women and equality in pay comes to mind.

8. Describe your perfect day?

Heading out onto the moors with my partner to visit a number of prehistoric sites, ending the day with a sunset and watching the stars and the Milky Way come out under pristine dark skies.

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

I'm not a great one for statues, the existing ones should either be removed or evened out with more female ones, If I had to name someone I think they would have to be contemporary - can they be living? I'm not even sure they would like to be immortalised in a statue but I think Cheryl Straffon for all her lifetime of work with ancient monuments in west Cornwall.

10. Give us a tip?

If you are lost a night it is easy to find your way again from the stars, look for the pan shaped object and draw an imaginary line from the end of the pan this will point you to the north star Polaris, and you can get your bearings once again.

“Carolyn Kennett is a writer, researcher and astronomer who lives in Cornwall, she particularly researches how ancient communities related to their skyscapes. She is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and her books include Celestial Stone Circles of West Cornwall (2018) and Neptune: From Grand Discovery to World Revealed (2021). She is a communicator of all things astronomical and runs her own business Archaeoastronomy Cornwall while being a director of Mayes Creative, delivering arts, science and heritage projects throughout Cornwall.”

Cathy Rentzenbrink - Memoirist & Novelist

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Writing my first book, The Last Act of Love, which is about the death of my brother. It was so hard to wrestle all the events and emotions on to the page and I’m still not quite sure how I managed it.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

Writing books rather accidentally led me into teaching and mentoring other writers and I do feel that is my true calling. I love helping other people get to grips with telling their story and I am very motivated by seeing people build their commitment and acquire skills and make progress. It is very beautiful being alongside as someone grows into their abilities.

3. What do you owe your mother?

She taught me to read and write long before I went to school and always spoke to me honestly about life. And she chose a good man to be my father! I think it is a great gift to a woman to have a supportive and empowering dad.

4. Which women inspire you and why?

Maya Angelou, Hilary Mantel, Virginia Woolf. I’m inspired by writers who have known hardship, struggle, and pain and keep writing.

5. What are you reading?

Coward by Tim Clare, a fascinating book about anxiety.

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I think publishing is less sexist than most other industries though I still feel constantly aware that as a woman there is often an anxiety about saying anything at all. I always remember making a joke at a man’s expense when I was about 16 and him saying, ‘You should learn to shut your mouth.’ I never have, but often feel the fear of being seen as too vocal, too intelligent, too clever for my own good etc. I think I might have been burnt at the stake if I’d lived a few centuries earlier.

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

Services for children also benefit women. I think it is a great shame that Sure Start centres closed down.

8. Describe your perfect day?

I’d wake up with the light and go running around Pendennis Point and then swim in the sea. Perhaps I’d eat a delicious and garlicy lunch with my family and laugh at my son’s jokes. He is twelve and I am loving the way he is growing into his sense of humour. Maybe later on I could read a whole book in the bath, which is one of my big treats and then go to bed early. And I’d have no technology all day and enjoy the clarity and peace I feel when I leave my phone off and focus on nature and the flesh and blood people and animals in my life. Actually, I do mostly do all these things on weekends unless I am working so that feels good.

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

I’m not sure I’m that keen on statues of people. I like the rook sculpture for Daphne du Maurier in Fowey.

10. Give us a tip?

Stop expecting it to be easy and slow down and enjoy the process.

“Cathy Rentzenbrink is an acclaimed memoirist whose books include The Last Act of Love and Dear Reader. In 2021 she published her first novel Everyone is Still Alive and she has a book about how to write a memoir called Write It All Down. Cathy regularly chairs literary events, interviews authors, reviews books, runs creative writing courses and speaks and writes on life, death, love, and literature. Despite being shortlisted for various prizes, the only thing Cathy has ever won is the Snaith and District Ladies’ Darts Championship when she was 17. She is now sadly out of practice.”

Karen Taylor - Penzance Novelist & Journalist

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Giving birth to my son Alex in December 1996, and the publication of my debut thriller Fairest Creatures in October 2021. Both achievements didn’t come easily but are all the more special for that. I spent three decades writing a succession of books which gained some attention and plaudits but didn’t find me a publisher. Fairest Creatures was really my last throw of the dice. It was the sequel to a novel I wrote for my MA dissertation in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at the UEA 2017-2019. The first book got me an agent and some promising responses but was ultimately not ‘loud enough in a crowded market’, according to one major publisher.

At the start of 2020 I attended a UEA reunion in Norwich, and we were encouraged to bring along 5,000 words for discussion. This prompted me to write the opening chapters to Fairest Creatures. I made them ‘pretty loud’ and sent them off to the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award on its deadline day, from my hotel room in Norwich. When my entry got longlisted several months later, with the UK and pretty much the world in lockdown, I got my head down and finished the book at my kitchen table.

My 23-year-old son was working upstairs in his first proper jobs. It felt like we had both reached important life stages at the same time.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

Writing is what I do best. I can’t stop myself from writing. Whether in a diary, in emails, letters, short stories, novels, social media. From an early age my writing skills and vivid imagination were remarked upon by my parents and teachers. I loved books and films and wanted to emulate my favourite authors and directors.

3. What do you owe your mother?

So very much. In her unassuming way she introduced me and my sister to all the right things at the right times – for example, pre-school reading and writing, libraries and the best state school in the area. She was a housewife and bookkeeper for the small family building business. Her natural intelligence, organisational skills, perception and sharp wits kept us all in check! Her own mother died when she was fifteen and she gave up the opportunity for higher education to help run the family home and support her widowed father. But her drive and determination saw her leave home soon after and head to London to find work and, as it happens, my father – the love of her life. Between them they raised two independently minded career women. When she passed at 87, Maud Heaven (her maiden name) left my sister and I a small inheritance which we used to buy our place in Penzance – my inspiration for getting on for five years now.

4. Which women inspire you and why?

My sister Yvonne Taylor inspires me. She was head of English at a state comprehensive for 36 years and was a legendary teacher. She helped so many young people achieve good grades and fulfil their potential. Parents vied to get their children into the school because her results were so good.

My first journalism boss, Cassandra Jardine. I worked for her in the Corporate Communications Department of Unilever and she gave me my first writing breaks. Her charismatic leadership and mentoring got me into journalism. We both went our separate ways, with Cass (as we called her) becoming Features Editor of The Telegraph and mother of five children, as well as writing several non-fiction books! Sadly, she died young – at 57 – of lung cancer. But she was still positive and encouraging others until the end – campaigning for Lung Cancer Awareness and sharing her experiences in a Telegraph column.

Oxford University professor of vaccinology Dame Sarah Gilbert who started designing a vaccine just two weeks after reading about a mysterious type of pneumonia emerging in China. To have her finger on the pulse like that and achieve such an incredible result for mankind is incredible.

Serena and Venus Williams – both phenomenal tennis players that came from nothing to achieve greatness and sustain it for decades.

And looking back over the years and in our own locality – the artist Dame Laura Knight. From the first glimmers of her early talent, she built a career that spanned a lifetime and many different artistic styles and disciplines. I was so impressed with the recent exhibition of her work at the Penlee Gallery in Penzance. She was the first woman to be made a Royal Academician, the only woman to be given War Commissions in both World Wars. And, in 1946, aged 69, she was the only British artist to be commissioned to cover the Nuremberg Trials.

5. What are you reading?

Beautiful World, Where Are You? By Sally Rooney, the poems of Charlotte Mew (for my Morrab Library Poetry Group) and listening to Apples Never Fall, by Liane Moriarty.

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

There are few gender barriers in my line of work – writing and journalism. However, when I was starting out, I spent several years as a commodities reporter. One of my more challenging roles as an editor and senior reporter was to price minor metals – like cobalt, cadmium and mercury. This brought me into contact with a very macho group of traders who took no prisoners and would in turns try to beguile you and then bamboozle you to get their POV across. I remember one industry event when I was representing my publication and making a stand for our pricing, which the traders always took issue with. I stood alone against a barrage of criticism. After these verbal assaults, the traders were usually friendly – it was a game to them – and one of them said to me and his audience of men. ‘The thing with Karen is, you can knock her to the ground time and time and again and she will always get up, bloody but unbowed.’ I took this as a compliment! When I left the job I ‘immortalised’ this crew in a novel called The Trade, which was published by the leading UK digital publisher of its time Endeavour Press.

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

Championing equal rights and education for women throughout the world. When I was that young commodities journalist I travelled the world, and I was interviewed by a female reporter on Zambian Radio. Her angle was, ‘What’s it like to be a woman working in a man’s world?’ So, they were pushing for change back then. The Zambians also had a simple but strong slogan ‘Teach The Mother To Teach the Child.’ Those women were right, but more, much more needs to be done and that’s where western aid should be targeted.

8. Describe your perfect day?

Waking early to a beautiful sunrise and jogging along the coastal path from Penzance Harbour towards Marazion. Then spending some time researching and writing at The Morrab Library before having a light lunch at Mackerel Sky with a good friend and catching a movie at Newlyn Filmhouse. We’d walk back along the promenade to my apartment, and I’d cook a fish or seafood supper from the catch of the day at Newlyn Harbour. We would then stroll out for a night cap at one of the pubs in Penzance and listen to a local band, before walking back home under a full moon and star-studded sky.

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

Dame Laura Knight

10. Give us a tip?

Paraphrasing Rudyard Kipling: ‘Dream, but don’t let dreams be your mistress.’ It is fantastic to realise an ambition, but it can take years and lots of hard work and disappointment along the way. Keep that dream alive but take joy in the everyday and the smaller achievements, which can mean so much to not only you, but also to others.

Karen is a UEA alumni crime writer whose latest novel Fairest Creatures was longlisted for the 2020 Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger. The book features DI Brandon Hammett, a Texan detective with Cornish roots. Based in Penzance, Fairest Creatures covers the reappearance after 23 years of the Sleeping Beauty serial killer, a murderer who macabrely 'immortalises' his beautiful victims.

Before turning to crime, Karen wrote a series of children’s books and short stories. Her middle grade Sci-Fi novel Turbulence was shortlisted at the Winchester Writers Festival, alongside a novella and a short story. Her YA thriller Off The Rails won her a place in the Dragon’s Den at the London Book Fair in 2016.

Born in London, Karen is also a journalist and editor with wide ranging experience, covering anything from business to lifestyle. She's worked on trade, corporate and association publications, run international news teams, and contributed to newspapers and magazines including The Financial Times, The London Evening Standard, The London Magazine, The Independent, and The Far Eastern Economic Review. Her first novel The Trade, published by Endeavour Press, was inspired by her globe-trotting years as a commodity markets reporter.

An avid reader and film goer, Karen is loving the chance to create stories in the dramatic cinematic setting of Cornwall. She spends her time between Penzance and London.

Hayley Stanton - Coach, Social Entrepreneur & Podcast Host

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement is undoubtably Quiet Connections. It’s blossomed into a beautiful collaboration of coaches and facilitators with lived experience from across Cornwall, some of which started out as clients. And the impact that we have together makes my heart sing; supporting hundreds of people through coaching and courses, and offering other entrepreneurs opportunities to grow their confidence too.

It amazes me that it started out as a secret little acorn of an idea that I thought ‘somebody else should do’, sitting on my shoulder for years until I decided to try. I thought that I wasn’t the right person, doubting my ability to succeed as a quieter, female entrepreneur, so it’s meant overcoming a lot of self-doubt and challenging leadership stereotypes for me personally. Public speaking and leadership is a long way from the shy girl hiding at the back of the class!

Gratefully, I have had some wonderful coaches and mentors who have helped me to see that I am exactly the right kind of person for this particular venture and my introversion and sensitivity is in fact a real gift in business.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

As a child and a young woman, I was painfully socially anxious and avoidant. I was afraid to be seen and heard, so I missed out on an enormous amount of learning experiences and all the good things in life -fun, hobbies, connection, education, career opportunities... I just kept myself hidden away fearing that I was defective in some way; rejecting myself before other people got the chance to. It took me a long time to realise that I’m not broken, I’m not alone and, shockingly, I could actually make changes in how I feel and show up in the world!

Looking back, what saddens me the most is how misunderstood my behaviour was. People can make lots of assumptions about what someone’s quietness and withdrawal means, often landing on being ‘awkward’ or ‘rude’ or ‘not liking’ someone. The intense distress that we feel inside and the silent freeze response we’re having often goes unnoticed so we don’t get the help and reassurance that we need.

I wish that I had someone who could tell me that I’m not alone, I’m not weird or broken; to help me see that I could do more than I thought I could and support me to gently stretch my comfort zone and pick up healthier coping strategies.

That’s why I’m passionate about starting conversations to raise awareness and helping those experiencing social anxiety today, whether they are unable to leave the house, or seemingly doing ‘okay’ in life but feeling stuck and unfulfilled because change is so scary.

3. What do you owe your mother?

Let’s change the question here because the concept of ‘owing’ a parent (or anyone really!) doesn’t sit well with me; those invisible ties can pave the path to poor boundaries, people pleasing and resentment.

So, reflecting on what I am most grateful for, I realise that it’s all the times my mum stepped way beyond her comfort zone to facilitate me connecting with others, and also stand up for me and seek fairness when I couldn’t. When we feel socially anxious, we often struggle with making phone calls, talking to people in authority, being in groups, meeting people, disagreeing etc. and so it can feel extremely hard to raise children at the same time. I think of how much courage it must have taken to arrange to speak with teachers about bullying; seek out second opinions on medical issues; attend and host birthday parties; and even drop my sister and I off at school. In general, mothers are under-recognised for the work that they do and should be celebrated more, but I really want to honour the bravery and compassion of mothers experiencing social anxiety and showing up when their instinct is to hide.

4. Which women inspire you and why?

The first person that comes to mind is my friend, coach and trainer, Lizzi Larbalestier, who leads with her heart and contributes far more to help people and the planet than anyone else I know. From rescuing and rehabilitating seals in her garage as a BDMLR Marine Mammal Medic, and now voluntarily project managing the build of Cornwall's new seal hospital and training new medics; to inspiring the community to come together in efforts to protect the local environment, promoting compassion for the planet in school children and organising big beach cleans; and supporting people to become the best version of themselves, seeing the light within them when they can’t and compassionately challenging them to recognise their own potential.

So I’d say that I’m inspired by women who are heart-led and act on their empathy, speaking out in positive ways about what’s important to them; creating change that starts from where they are and inspiring others to discover what’s important to them and see the difference that they can make too. Women who empower others in gentle ways.

5. What are you reading?

I’ve recently got a very anxious rescue dog called Robin, so I’ve been reading "Getting in Touch with Your Dog” by Linda Tellington-Jones to find ways I can help him feel calm and confident.

I’m also reading ‘Burnout: Solve Your Stress Cycle’ by Emily and Amelia Nagoski, which is a fascinating book that examines the gap between expectations and reality for women, and helps us to deal with the overwhelm that we can feel as we try (and fail!) to bridge that gap. I recommend it!

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

Interesting question! We often don’t see that the playing field isn’t quite level for us as women, so initially my mind went blank, but this question is eye opening to reflect on. There’s a real ‘not good enough’ message that can come from gender bias and expectations.

From the nursery worker who called me ‘bossy in an organising way’, which even as a youngster felt like a very bad thing to be (and I’m sure a boy would have been labelled a ‘leader’); to the police officer who asked me as a teenager “where are your bruises if you didn’t want it?” discounting my verbal resistance and the strength it took to even speak up against a far more powerful man; and then the boyfriend’s mother who told me “I’ve given up on you giving me grandkids” when I was in my 20s without so much as asking if I want or can have a child.

Like a lot of us growing up, I learnt that to be a ‘good girl’ meant to be small and quiet; convenient and still; to give and think about other people’s wants and needs before my own. So the biggest challenge has been (and still is at times) unlearning all that people pleasing and reconnecting with who I really am; saying no, setting boundaries, using my voice, standing up for myself and even giving myself permission to be disliked. The funny thing is that in letting go of efforts to meet expectations, please and fit in, I feel like I truly belong far more today than I ever have before.

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

Language matters, right? Let’s ditch the words ‘bossy’ and ‘shy’ when we’re talking to little girls. Let’s ask ourselves, ‘would I be using the same words to describe a man?’ when we’re talking to and about women. If the answer is ‘no’, then you know you need pick a more empowering word.

8. Describe your perfect day?

Oh, a dose of ‘blue mind’ on a warm day with a Cornish walk and a sea view; splashing in the water with my niece and nephews; settling down with my dog and a book for a while, and finishing the day with a glass of wine under the stars.

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

Ahhh there are so many wonderful women in Cornwall who are creating a ripple effect of positive change, and they all deserve to be celebrated! Cornwall is home to hundreds of female-led social enterprises, like Quiet Connections, and there’s one person that lots of us have in common: Sally Heard.

Being a fierce advocate of social entrepreneurship, Sally has been stepping out of her own comfort zone to champion social and environmental change in Cornwall for many years; fighting for funding and support and bringing the School for Social Entrepreneurs to Cornwall.

It’s Sally’s compassionate nature and the belief that she has in people that really makes a difference. I remember her being a gentle cheerleader throughout the SSE Start Up Programme application process, encouraging me with a nod and a smile when I was pitching my idea ‘dragon’s den’ style and my voice and knees were shaking. Ultimately, Sally’s work is empowering female leaders to create their own unique ripple effects and Cornwall is lucky to have her.

10. Give us a tip?

“True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” Brene Brown talks about belonging to yourself so deeply that you can be a part of something and stand alone in the wilderness. For many of us, this ’coming home’ to ourselves is our work in the world and it begins with a letting go of expectations. So I’m sharing a poem that resonated with me early in my journey:

I do my thing and you do your thing.

I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,

And you are not in this world to live up to mine.

You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.

If not, it can't be helped.”

― Fritz Perls

About Hayley Stanton - Coach, Social Entrepreneur & Podcast Host:

Hayley Stanton is an NLP Practitioner, mBIT Coach and Blue Health Coach. She is the founder of Quiet Connections CIC and co-hosts the Quiet Connections Podcast. Hayley lives near Redruth, Cornwall and is mum to an anxious rescue cat and dog, Little Bug and Robin. Hayley grew up in Falmouth experiencing social anxiety, leading to fearfully avoiding the good -and the necessary- things in life and attempting suicide aged 19. She is passionate about using her personal and professional experiences for starting conversations, raising awareness and helping others walk the path from social anxiety to quiet confidence too.

Find out more at QuietConnections.co.uk

Dr Melissa Hardie-Budden MBE - Social Historian, Publisher & Founder of The Hypatia Trust

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

For 25 years the Hypatia Trust has focussed my attention (quite obsessionally) on the cares, works and woes of women in their daily lives and in world-wide communities and cultures. Newspapers, magazines, books and the social media upload an enormous rainfall of sociological and personal content about sex, gender identity, women’s rights, domestic abuse, child development and deviation from various historical and repetitive norms of behaviour and classification. Though not necessarily having satisfactory answers to the multiple questions often addressed to me personally as a researcher and author, I take at least some comfort from the bringing together of a kinship circle and network of persons – feminine, masculine and gender-fluid – who both process these topics in the arts, crafts and sciences, and who are prepared to give a voice to the many who attempt the interpretation of the issues within their own lives. To have founded and developed the Hypatia Trust with the help and collaboration of my family partners, friends and colleagues is perhaps my fondest achievement, but it has not been mine alone – rather, a group achievement which continues to flourish.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

The desire to make a difference in a positive way motivates me strongly. Inevitably this desire has not always met with success and I regret some of my poor choices and mistakes with genuine sorrow. From an early age I was an avid reader, as was my mother (an only child) and my grandfather (a journalist and book collector), both of whom were strongly influenced by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). My German family came from near his on the Mississippi River at Hannibal, Missouri and it was always mooted that we had a kinship relationship with him (not proven). I loved his humour, wisdom and story-telling and perhaps some of his motivations became my own. I have shared his love of cats: “While the rest of the species is descended from apes, redheads are descended from cats.” And, of course, I used to be a redhead – before the greys snuck in.

3. What do you owe your mother?

All of the sense and sensibilities that I have had are due to her – and none of the faults. Her creativity was always to the fore, with her strong adherence to the arts of design and home-making (interior domestic arts) as well as the life-long admiration and service to learning and academic achievement (gaining her university degree in philosophy & history after five children and two marriages in her early 50s.) It has been a privilege to be her eldest daughter and to gain so much from her resilience.

4. Which women inspire you and why?

In history, Florence Nightingale, for her leadership and good intentions, Elizabeth C T Carne of Penzance, for her intelligence and support to the town and its public institutions, and L Norna Jamieson, late of Shetland, my sister-tutor at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, for her love and example. In the present there are too many to name amongst my friends whom I love and admire, but on the national stage I would include the thinker Mary Beard of Cambridge, the Bronte scholar Patsy Stoneman of Hull, and the outstanding publisher Nicola Beauman of Persephone Books, of Bath (younger sister of my late friend, Jessica Mann Thomas, novelist, of Truro).

5. What are you reading?

I tend to read in themes – criss-crossing between non-fiction and fiction. Right now I have just completed All That I Am, a novel by Anna Funder about the 1930s and the rise of Hitlerism, after finishing Colm Toibin’s new novel The Magician, about the Nobel author, Thomas Mann (1875-1955), who wrote his magnificent works over the World Wars and the interim between. This set of interests for me has been inspired by the important historical studies of Germany in the political and social world of the 20th century by our friend and colleague, Frederick Taylor, a prodigious researcher and thinker in his own right – who lives here in Cornwall.

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I really don’t know, because when inspected close up, they seem to disappear.

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

By kindness, understanding and education. We are all people with varying capacities – and our only hope is to work with this set of facts.

8. Describe your perfect day?

A few happy minutes with a friend, a cup of tea and a brownie, some pleasing messages on the e-mail, a cuddle with my cats, a gripping book to read: these in any mix and time make for perfection. But one cannot have this every day – lots of work to do.

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

Statuary is not of special interest to me, and at present would be an unwise investment for public monies (I believe); better to invest in safe housing and community care initiatives. This is a better legacy of one age to another.

10. Give us a tip?

Speak louder. Be brave. To be too quiet is evidence of disinterest.

Melissa introducing her new book

2019, Hypatia Trust at the Regent, Chapel Street