Talking To Strangers with Gill Paul

Internationally best-selling author Gill Paul has written plenty of non-fiction, but has turned her love of history into writing ‘what-if’ novels, taking real historical figures and weaving stories around them. It was her experience of teenage heartbreak that led to her write about the Romanovs in The Secret Life and The Lost Daughter, but she’s tackled all sorts of eras, from Jazz age New York, to the juicy rivalry of Jackie Onassis and Maria Callas, along with the sexist world of publishing in Scandalous Women, to name but a few. A romantic at heart, Gill shows us her very personal mementos including a LOVE sign from her current partner, a beaded doll gifted by her nephew after a school trip, her grandmother’s wedding ring and her late mother’s lipsticks, still bearing the shape of her lips.  Gill swims outside every day in the Hampstead pond, but as well as the efficacy of cold water, she says her life hack it to talk to strangers. She says it’s a Scottish thing, but striking up a conversation with a stranger has the power to completely change your day. Follow Gill on all the socials and on instagram @gill.paul1 To view our guests' special bits, please follow us on Instagram @showusyourbitspodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.