Authors In The Media With Wendy Holden 

Last week I did a Q&A with American Author and former journalist Wendy Holden (not to be confused with British author who wrote historical fiction and chick lit also named Wendy Holden who I also interviewed) which you can read here by clicking this link https://booknotions.com/qa-with-wendy-holden-2/ . Wendy is back as we go more in depth discussing her 18 years as a journalist, especially doing foreign and war corresponding! 

Q: Wendy, welcome back to Book Notions! What initially drew you into a career in journalism? 

A: I WAS ONE OF THOSE ANNOYING PEOPLE WHO HAD A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT I WANTED TO BE FROM AN EARLY AGE. I HAD ALWAYS WRITTEN POEMS AND LITTLE SKITS AND WON A SCHOOLS PLAY COMPETITION WHEN I WAS 7. I THOUGHT I’D GO STRAIGHT TO WRITING BOOKS WHEN MY EDUCATION WAS OVER BUT A CAREERS ADVISER SUGGESTED JOURNALISM FIRST OT GET SOME LIFE EXPERIENCE. IT WAS MEANT TO BE TEMPORARY BUT LASTED NEARLY 20 YEARS.

Q: Did you go to college to get a journalism degree, or did you apply for a job after graduating high school? I love knowing a person’s individual journey going into any career! 

A: YES, I WENT TO JOURNALISM COLLEGE AND WAS THEN INDENTURED ONTO A LOCAL NEWSPAPER FOR THREE YEARS, WHICH GAVE ME A GREAT GROUNDINGG. FROM THERE I WORKED FOR AN AGENCY THAT COVERED COURT CASES AND THEN TO THE LONDON EVENING STANDARD NEWSPAPER WHERE WE STARTED WORK AT 6AM AND FINISHED AT 5PM WITH THREE DEADLINES A DAY. EXHAUSTING BUT GREAT EXPERIENCE. I WAS HEADHUNTED FROM THERE BY THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, A PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL NEWSPAPER AND I REMAINED THERE FOR 10 YEARS UNTIL I LEFT IN 1997 TO WRITE BOOKS FULL TIME.

Q: In our Q&A you wrote I was a foreign and war correspondent for the Daily Telegraph of London and travelled all over the world, especially in the Middle East. I have no regrets about those years and am grateful that they have informed my writing ever since, especially about war. But some of what I saw gave me a mild form of PTSD so, although I write occasional features and articles relating to my books, I wouldn’t willingly return to a war zone. Nor would my husband let me! What was it like traveling all over the world and interviewing people from many walks of life? What was it like working for the Daily Telegraph of London? 

A: I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE CAUGHT THE TAIL END OF THE GOLDEN DAYS OF NEWSPAPERS WHEN JOURNALISTS WERE SENT OUT TO FIND STORIES AND NOT JUST REGURGITATE AGENCY COPY FROM THEIR OFFICES OR HOMES. I WOULDN’T HAVE MISSED IT FOR THE WORLD. I TRAVELLED TO MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES IN THE YEARS THAT I WAS A JOURNALIST AND AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE EXPERIENCE. I LIVED IN NEW YORK FOR A WHILE AS ACTING BUREAU CHIEF. I COVERED THE COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM IN EASTERN EUROPE, THE ‘TROUBLES’ IN NORTHERN IRELAND, AND SPENT FIVE YEARS ON AND OFF IN THE MIDDLE EAST. EVERY DAY WAS DIFFERENT, AND EVERY PERSON I INTERVIEWED WAS INTERESTING IN SOME WAY. IT WAS THE VARIETY THAT I LOVED SO MUCH AND I HAVE CARRIED IT THROUGH TO MY CAREER AS AN AUTHOR, ALTERNATING GENRES AND STYLES. 

Q: Can you give me a list of people you’ve interviewed? Where were your favorite places since you’ve traveled around the world?

A: FAR TOO MANY TO MENTION BUT I DID MEET MOST MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY, ALONG WITH NOTABLE PEOPLE SUCH AS NELSON MANDELA, TONY CURTIS, BARBARA SINATRA, CHER, GOLDIE HAWN, DAVID BOWIE, QUEEN NOOR, SIMON LE BON (WHO I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH), JOAN COLLINS, DON FELDER OF THE EAGLES, SHEILA E, GRAHAM NORTON, REX HARRISON, BORIS JOHNSON (WHO I WORKED WITH), MRS MUBAREK, SADDAM HUSSEIN, KING HUSSEIN, BRYAN FERRY, MOHAMMED ALI, FARRAH FAWCETT, AL PACINO, PATRICIA GUCCI, STANLEY TUCCI, LESLIE STAHL, THE KING & QUEEN OF SPAIN, TWO AUSTRIAN PRESIDENTS, YASER ARAFAT, DAME JUDI DENCH. THE PEOPLE THAT IMPRESSED ME THE MOST, THOUGH, WERE THE HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS I HAVE WORKED WITH WHOSE RESILIENCE AND COURAGE I SO ADMIRE.

Q: What important wisdom do you have for anyone wanting to become a journalist? 

A: NEVER LOSE YOUR CURIOSITY. DIG DEEPER, GO FURTHER, TRY HARDER. EVERYONE YOU MEET HAS A STORY TO TELL; YOU JUST HAVE TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.

Q: Would you ever write a memoir about your 18-year career as a journalist and how that led you to your book writing career? I know I would read it!  Would you return to journalism if it didn’t require you to go into a dangerous war zone? Is there anything about journalism that you do miss? 

A: I WROTE A NOVEL CALLED THE SENSE OF PAPER WHICH WAS SEMI-AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL BUT THAT IS AS FAR AS I WOULD GO. AS A JOURNALIST I WAS TAUGHT NEVER TO PUT MYSELF IN THE PICTURE BUT TO REPORT WHAT I SAW IMPARTIALLY SO THAT THE READER COULD DECIDE WHAT HAPPENED FOR THEMSELVES.

I LEFT JOURNALISM TO STAY ALIVE AND STAY MARRIED. I ALSO WANTED TO WRITE THE BOOKS I’D PLANNED ON WRITING SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER. I DO STILL DIP MY TOE IN THE JOURNALISTIC WATER AND SUBMIT ARTICLES RELATING TO MY BOOKS BUT I WOULDN’T WILLINGLY RETURN TO A WAR ZONE. AND YES, I MISS THE ADRENALINE RUSH OF RUSHING TO A PLACE THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE RUNNING FROM BUT I AM ALSO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE WHICH RISKS I NOW TAKE RATHER THAN FEELING OBLIGATED TO RUSH IN BECAUSE ITS MY JOB.