Her background working in press and campaigns for the RSPB, CSV (Community Service Volunteers) and Comic Relief undoubtedly shaped her areas of journalistic interest, but also helped her to realise that she wanted to be the person asking the awkward questions rather than the one flailing around for a corporately acceptable answer. Louise mainly writes for The Guardian, but has contributed to all the national broadsheets as well as a wide variety of trade and consumer magazines. Louise also runs media training courses and events though her company The Last Word. She lives just north of Bristol with her partner and two small monsters. www.louisetickle.co.uk ALISON O'LEARY