This week our regular host Theo Clarke is interviewed by broadcaster and journalist Belle Donati about Theo’s bestselling book Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma, and her journey as a writer and campaigner for women’s health.
Topics discussed on the show include: writing memoir; championing women’s stories; balancing writing with parenting and a day job; motherhood and creativity; creative writing courses; the importance of writing buddies and accountability; and her writing routine.
BIOGRAPHY
Belle Donati is a broadcaster and journalist. She has anchored international breaking news for Sky News, NBC-Euronews and France 24, and has a background at the BBC, ITV and Al Jazeera English. She has interviewed guests from Nigel Farage and Humza Yousaf to Brian Cox and Isabel Allende. She hosts podcasts and discussions with The How To Academy on culture and politics. After the birth of her second child, she became an advocate for early intervention in at-risk babies. She is a part of the Ei SMART Foundation team and sits on the Lived Experience Advisory Panel for charity RareMinds. She is chair of the board of trustees of The Lovington Foundation.
Theo Clarke hosts the hit podcast Breaking the Taboo which ranks in the Top 5 most listened to shows in the UK for alternative health. She has also published the memoir Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma. Theo was the Member of Parliament for Stafford. She chaired the first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma in British history and previously set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma in the House of Commons. Theo has served as parliamentary private secretary at the Departments for Education, Business and Trade and HM Treasury, in addition to being trade envoy for the Prime Minister. She won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and was included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list in 2025 and 2024. She sits on the Board of the United Nations Association UK as their Vice Chair.
RESOURCES
Breaking the Taboo by Theo Clarke
https://www.waterstones.com/book/breaking-the-taboo/theo-clarke//9781785909351
Global Birth Trauma Alliance
https://www.globalbirthtraumaalliance.com/
Birth Trauma Association
https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org/
Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast
Instagram: @theoclarkemp
A Thread of One’s Own production team:
Producer: Adam Woodward
Designer: Emily Ryder
Social media: Bella Carter
