Victoria Smith | My Little Black Book
She might have been brought up in the small village of Abbots Bromley, in Staffordshire, but Victoria Smith has big ambitions. A freelance writer in the process of launching her own copywriting agency, Content Content (‘happy words’), this creative entrepreneur is also the founder and editor of My Little Black Book – a digital magazine for the thinking woman.
Earmarked by Cosmopolitan as “one of the best online writers in the entire country”, Cambridge graduate Smith has a dual agenda: to elevate the female voice in an industry still biased towards male bylines, and to focus on real-life role models, rather than celebrities, in order to empower the everyday woman. Originally built in her bedroom and now read – and written – by women across the world, Smith’s site has scooped several awards and set her up as a sought-after millennial advocate, appearing on the likes of BBC Radio London to discuss attitudes towards women in the workplace and the under-representation of women in sport.
As well as being passionate about aspirational writing – feeling too many column inches are given over to vacuous celebrity stories – Smith also supports the next generation of female journalists, regularly speaking to sixth formers and offering students and budding wordsmiths a taste of what it takes to earn a living from editorial, as well as a chance to begin building a portfolio.
Tamara Leigh | IRIN
Tamara Leigh is a communications and advocacy consultant, who works with international aid agencies and the media to raise awareness on issues of humanitarian concern.
After graduating with a degree in Politics and Philosophy, Tamara moved to Nairobi in Kenya to work for the United Nations. Since then, she has worked with the International Red Cross in East Africa and South Sudan, with the International Rescue Committee in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
She is currently based in London, working for the humanitarian news service, IRIN, supporting its transition from the UN into an independent media agency that delivers unique, authoritative and independent reporting from the frontlines of crises. She has recently published work on the Democratic Republic of Congo and the global migration crisis.