#PCPIONEERS
ELIZABETH DAY is a novelist, journalist and broadcaster. Day has written seven books and is also the host of one of the most successful podcasts in the world - How to Fail, which explores our human relationship with failure and the successive journeys and learnings that come from this.
Which style did you choose and why?
I chose the Oscar Lined Boot in Conker/Navy because I'm always looking for shoes that are both practical and stylish and these can be worn with jeans or dresses and are lined with the most comfortable fleece.
Your podcast How To Fail has somewhat ironically been a total success! With over 200,000 downloads, what inspired the idea, and what has been your biggest pinch me moment so far?
The idea was inspired by my own failures - I'd just come out of a relationship and found myself, two weeks before my 39th birthday, single, divorced, without children, and with a very different life from the one I'd planned for myself. The biggest pinch me moment was a toss-up between selling out The National Theatre for a live How To Fail show in 24 hours or getting my dream guest, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to agree to come on the podcast.
You’ve just written your fifth novel too, what inspired this story?
I've spent the best part of the last ten years trying and failing to have a baby. I wanted to explore that in fiction, in a way I would have liked to read when I was going through IVF and miscarriages. That's a lot of what Magpie is about. Also, I love reading books with a twist - so I wanted to try and pull one off myself. I can't say more without ruining the surprise!
You’ve said before that we must change the way society views women without children, what changes would you like to see?
I'd like more attention to be paid to us, whether that be policy change that encourages companies to give bereavement leave for miscarriage or a wider cultural shift that sees women without children as valid, brilliant, pioneering individuals who have a lot to give and don't constantly need to be asked about the state of their ovaries.
Elizabeth's Accessory Edit