Journalist of the Month

January's Journalist of the Month is Punteha van Terheyden. Previously the commissioning editor for Take a Break, she is a freelance journalist and ghostwriter with a particular interest in health, specialising in true-life features for the national press. She's taken a few minutes out of her day to answer our ten questions!

1. What are the 5 words that best describe you?

I suppose the ones I hear most often are tenacious, honest, strong-willed, determined and loyal.

2. What magazine do you love reading and why?

I have always been a Take a Break reader - I adore true life stories and Take a Break has a way of storytelling that really gets you in the feels. Or makes you laugh, or gasp in shock. Whatever the story, it’s written with authentic details that transport you into that person’s life and that’s very special. No other consumer publication writes quite like that. 

3. What is your favourite book?

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. It’s beautiful, profound and life-changing. 

4. Which song makes you dance?

I love a bit of every day pop. I currently have Rita Ora’s new track Anywhere on repeat, much to the chagrin of my long-suffering husband.

5. What has been your best career moment?

Gosh, there have been a few that have really meant a lot to me. Talking my way into my first journalist job on an agency was really satisfying. Being offered a staff job on my favourite mag was another. Seeing my first book for Penguin place in the top five of the Sunday Times Bestsellers list was really special. 

6. What advice would you give your 20 year old self?

Every career decision you make will be the right one - just listen to your gut every time and don’t be afraid to take risks. It will get you where you want to be. 

7. Where are you happiest?

At home with my hubs and our little girl. 

8. Who would be your number one dinner guest be and why?

Now you’re asking. Hmm. Right now, I’d say Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. I’m a big fan of the Royals and by far, this couple is my favourite. In a world of cynical journalists, I’d love to see them defy the critics and just continue being in love and happy. Who doesn’t love a fairytale?

9. If you could have any superpower, what power would it be and why?

To heal. I’d start with my own chronic pain, then work my way around my friends and loved ones! Then I’d quit my job because clearly I would soon be minted…

10. If you had to ask us one question what would it be?

What item couldn’t you live without?

Our phones! The life of a PR means always being à jour with the latest news and events. We're forever tapping away on our little screens, reading articles, posting social media updates and chattering with journalists and organisations!

Journalist of the Month

Nancy Emery is part of the editorial team at Staffordshire Living Magazine and will be featuring one of our clients in the New Year. Nancy took five minutes out from writing and editing to answer the infamous Sunny Bird PR questions…

1. What are the 5 words that best describe you?

Positive, determined, silly, anxious, strong.

2. What magazine do you love reading and why?

Staffordshire Living, of course…

3. What is your favourite book?

Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes.

4. Which song makes you dance?

The Man with the Red Face, Laurent Garnier.

5. What has been your best career moment?

Having the opportunity to work in Asia .

6. What advice would you give your 20 year old self?

Don’t do it!

7. Where are you happiest?

At home on the sofa, with my two little boys and my husband.

8. Who would be your number one dinner guest be and why?

Gosh, that is hard. If they had to be living then I would say Jack Nicholson. But if not, then I would have dinner with my Dad.

9. If you could have any superpower, what power would it be and why?

Being invisible – I would freak people out!

10. If you had to ask us one question, what would it be?

Who’s next?

We speak to so many lovely regional and national journalists every month; it’s so hard to choose!

Journalist of the Month

Katie Avis-Riordan is an online features writer for countryliving.co.uk  and housebeautiful.co.uk. Katie recently came down to Bournemouth to review the beautiful Green House Hotel which you can read here. Katie took five minutes out from being wined and dined to answer the infamous Sunny Bird PR questions…

1. What are the 5 words that best describe you? Love my family and friends.

2. What magazine do you love reading and why? Empire. It’s always good to keep up with what’s going on in the movie world as I’m a massive film buff.

3. What is your favourite book? For me, the most enjoyable books to read are the Harry Potter series, my favourite being Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I’ve read it about 10 times!

4. Which song makes you dance? Lots of songs make me want to dance from a whole variety of genres, but I find 80s classics are always feel-good to move to.

5. What has been your best career moment? Taking part in an adventure camping trip in Dorset, which I was writing a feature on. I got to try out lots of cool things, like paddle boarding, axe throwing, and fire starting.

6. What advice would you give your 20 year old self? Don’t stress over the small things – they always sort themselves out.

7. Where are you happiest? When I’m surrounded by family and friends, eating good food and having a laugh.

8. Who would be your number one dinner guest be and why? J. K. Rowling – I think she would be so interesting to talk to and I’d love to hear her top writing tips. And of course the main topic of conversation would be Harry Potter. 

9. If you could have any superpower, what power would it be and why? Telekinesis would be really cool, just like Eleven in Stranger Things. Also the ability to change the weather would come in very handy, especially with our British summers!

10. If you had to ask us one question what would it be? What is the best part about your job?

So many things! Fun events, getting our clients in the nationals, getting great reviews for our clients, reactive media relations, coming up with super creative ideas to get our clients featured in the media – the list goes on!

Journalist of the Month

Emma Joseph is a Features Writer at the newly revamped Dorset Living (previously Dorset Society) as well as the Daily Echo. She has taken some time away from writing fabulous lifestyle features to answer our famous ten questions!

1. What are the 5 words that best describe you? Organised; thoughtful; caring; calm (and a little) OCD!

2. What magazine do you love reading and why? It’s terrible, but I am a sucker for a bit of celebrity gossip, so it would have to be something like Closer, or OK! (My guilty pleasure!)

3. What is your favourite book? I’ll read anything really, but I particularly love Martina Cole. Her books are often quite uncomfortable reading, given the subject matter is usually prostitutes, drug addicts, domestic violence, murderers etc, but I always get completely sucked into them. I also like a good thriller - Tess Gerritsen is another favourite author.

4. Which song makes you dance? I LOVE a good boogie – anything cheesy or disco-y!

5. What has been your best career moment? When I was the Health Reporter at the Southern Daily Echo in Southampton I did a story about an anonymous donor who paid for a profoundly deaf two-year-old to have a cochlear implant fitted. Her family invited me along when they turned the device on and she heard her mum tell her she loved her for the first time. It was so emotional, and such an incredible honour to be included in such a special moment.

6. What advice would you give your 20 year old self? I was still studying journalism at Bournemouth Uni when I was 20, and set on becoming a TV presenter, so I guess I would tell myself not to worry if things don’t turn out exactly as planned, and not to stress about the small stuff (something I’m still trying to do now!).

7. Where are you happiest? Anywhere when I’m with my family – whether that’s at home, snuggled up on the sofa with a movie; chilling on Southbourne beach or on a family holiday.

8. Who would be your number one dinner guest be and why? I think it would have to be my husband’s dad, who passed away before my husband and I met. I’ve heard so many stories about him, it would be lovely to be able to meet him.

9. If you could have any superpower, what power would it be and why? Definitely teleportation! How amazing would it be to get to Hawaii instantaneously?!

10. If you had to ask us one question, what would it be? Where did the name Sunny Bird come from?

"It's the name of our MD!"

Journalist of the Month

Nicky Findley is one of our favourite local journalists, she's a features writer for the Bournemouth Echo, Advertiser series, Dorset Society, Seven Days Magazine, Taste and The Guide. Nicky has taken a few minutes out from writing about the best county in the UK to answer the infamous Sunny Bird PR questions...

1. What are the 5 words that best describe you? Lives Life To The Full

2. What magazine do you love reading and why? Runner’s World. Running with my dogs is the best start to my day – it’s a quick, inexpensive way to keep fit (I also love my food and don’t have enough will power to diet!) and it keeps me sane as it gives me time to clear my head before I get to work.

3. What is your favourite book? I’ve just re-read Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen and it is still one of my all-time favourites.

4. Which song makes you dance? Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader 

5. What has been your best career moment? Being promoted to women’s editor in the late ‘90s. Although this role doesn’t exist these days it was great fun while it lasted as we got lots of freebies and spa trips!

6. What advice would you give your 20 year old self? Always be true to yourself and never be afraid to take a risk.

7. Where are you happiest? In our camper van in the mountains with my family and dogs.

8. Who would be your number one dinner guest be and why? My perfect dinner guest would have to be Hugh Jackman to see if he really is as awesome as he seems –  not only can the guy sing, dance and act, he’s funny, sporty and veryeasy on the eye too!

9. If you could have any superpower, what power would it be and why? To be able to control time so I can pack more into my day and visit different eras.

10. If you had to ask us one question what would it be? What gives your company the edge over other PR firms?

Our creativity – we work with clients that don’t always have new news so we make the news for them!

Journalist of the Month

Gemma Ralph is the Deputy Editor at Hospitality Interiors magazine. A self-confessed foodie, fairy light fiend and lover of all things cosy, she has taken a few moments away from glam interiors to ask the infamous Sunny Bird PR questions for Journalist of the Month…

1. What are the 5 words that best describe you? Perceptive, odd, bookworm, nosy, romantic

2. What magazine do you love reading and why? Women’s Health – I sit and read it cover to cover every month because it has so many in-depth and inspiring articles.

3. What is your favourite book?  This question is my nemesis, I LOVE all books. I’d have to say Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf as she is my absolute hero, but if I could sneak a cheeky close second in it would be Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

4. Which song makes you dance?  Any song that comes on when I’m 5+ drinks down…I’m definitely not a natural when it comes to dancing!

5. What has been your best career moment?  I count myself lucky any time I get a sneak peak of new interiors, sometimes when they’re still building sites. A highlight would definitely be touring Mondrian London with Tom Dixon and hearing all about his inspiration and vision for the project – I’m so privileged to be part of such an interesting and creative industry.

6. What advice would you give your 20 year old self? Don’t devote so much of your headspace to other people and their opinions of you.

7. Where are you happiest?  Probably when I’m in a restaurant with good food and drink.

8. Who would be your number one dinner guest be and why? I’d say Bill Murray – he’s immensely talented, doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously, and I think he would have some epic stories to tell … also I might have a slight dad-crush on him!

9. If you could have any superpower, what power would it be and why?   I think I would choose the ability to time travel – I’ve always felt like I was born in the wrong era, so I’d love to travel back in time to experience different periods and historical events.

10. If you had to ask us one question what would it be? What would you say is the most rewarding element of your work?

The team all had the same answer – seeing the coverage they’ve achieved come out in publications and online – our favourite was of course in Hospitality Interiors!

Journalist of the Month

Laura Hampson is a 23-year-old travel and lifestyle journalist for the Daily Star Online. She kindly took a moment away from her busy schedule to answer our Journalist of the Month questions and gave us a thought-provoking question in return …

1. What are the 5 words that best describe you?

It's always so weird to describe yourself but here I go: Happy, loving, kind, enthusiastic, homebody.

2. What magazine do you love reading and why?

Frankie – an Australian magazine that contains the most beautiful pieces of writing.

3. What is your favourite book?

It will always be ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen.

4. Which song makes you dance?

Fade - Kanye West, Dreams - Fleetwood Mac and Sorry - Justin Bieber. Not a fan of Biebs but I like to pretend I can do the dance from the music video. Emphasis on 'pretend'. 

5. What has been your best career moment?

Besides landing my dream job the day after I graduated university in Australia, there have been a lot of pieces I've written that I'm really proud of. Also leaving everything, moving to London and landing a job with a great team. Getting to travel the world as part of my job is a bonus too! 

6. What advice would you give your 20 year old self?

Keep working hard and keep being kind to people – kindness is key. Also, save more money because life in London is much more expensive than you think. 

7. Where are you happiest?

When I'm visiting a new country, talking to family and friends, visiting Ireland (where my boyfriend lives), going for a walk/hike in the sun, swimming in the ocean or when I'm snuggled up in bed watching a Netflix series I'm obsessed with. 

8. Who would be your number one dinner guest be and why? (they can be past or present)

I am all about young females making a name for themselves in journalism, so at the moment my answer to this would be Leandra Medine who founded the blog-come-pop-culture-website Man Repeller when she was 20/21. I would love to pick her brain. 

9. If you could have any superpower, what power would it be and why?

Teleportation. Hands down. Then I would be able to visit my family in New Zealand, my boyfriend in Ireland and my friends in Australia and around the world whenever I liked. Plus it would make travel much less time-consuming.

10. If you had to ask us one question what would it be?

If you had to pack up and move to a new country for a year, where would it be and why?

Rian: Barcelona – because she wants to indulge herself in unlimited tapas and sangria.

Lizzie: Costa Roca – because it’s known to be one of the greenest countries and it’s a tropical paradise.

Sunny: Ibiza – because of the beautiful beaches and the holistic nature of the island.

Lucy: California – because of the guaranteed beautiful weather and she’s been dying to see the Yosemite National Park and walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Journalist of the Month

Claire Scott is a journalist for The Irish Mirror and Dublin Live and a lover of G&T’s! She kindly took a moment away from her busy schedule to answer our Journalist of the Month questions and gave us a cracking question in return …

1. What are the 5 words that best describe you? Wine lover, good listener, curious

2. What magazine do you love reading and why? A Dublin-based magazine called Guts - brilliant writing and graphics from up-and-coming Irish artists 

3. What is your favourite book?  Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

4. Which song makes you dance?  Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere

5. What has been your best career moment?  I have two; visiting Bali in 2016 to review an amazing resort called Bliss Sanctuary for Women and launching two news campaigns and a weekly news feature for Dublin Live

6. What advice would you give your 20 year old self? Get up and go to your lectures - on time! 

7. Where are you happiest?  My family home in Ballyfin, Co Laois - it's in the middle of nowhere and as you get older, you realise that's the best place to be sometimes

8. Who would be your number one dinner guest be and why? Caitlin Moran - she's a fantastic writer and columnist so I wouldn't mind picking her brain for an hour or two

9. If you could have any superpower, what power would it be and why?   Fly - I'd never be late again (I'm notoriously always late)

10. If you had to ask us one question what would it be? Will you all come visit the Dublin Live team in Ireland soon?

Yes please! Next time we’re in Ireland we’ll definitely come and say hi :)