Women

It’s still International Women’s Day! Thanks to you if you’ve checked out my playlist. Please, enjoy this blurry picture of me on a bus 8 months ago. I started tweeting about women I love, and here, in no particular order, is something approaching a more complete list of women who inspire me. In my article on Amy I write about the way I look up to her – that’s essentially how I feel about everyone on this list. I’ll write properly about them soon, but for now please tell me all the people I’ve inevitably missed off.

Judy Blume – author, unafraid to address “controversial” topics for teens

Amy Winehouse (here) – singer, songwriter, muse

Bette Midler – actress, singer, comedian

Luella Bartley – fashion designer, writer, unique British bird

Kate Bush – singer, songwriter, icon of individuality

Cilla Black – singer, actress, entertainer

Ella Fitzgerald – the. greatest. singer. ever, overcame incredibly tough early life

Elaine Stritch – actress, singer, incredibly sharp-tongued

Ronnie Spector – singer (also my hair idol)

Rebecca Sugar – animator, songwriter, creator of Steven Universe

Jeanine Tesori – composer, writer, arranger, musical theatre genius

Jacqueline Wilson – writer, beloved truth-teller of young British girls everywhere

Angela Carter – writer, inspirer

Audra MacDonald – singer, actress, 6 time Tony winner, INSANE career

Nadia Boulanger – composer, prolific teacher

Wendy Cope – poet

Amber Tamblyn – actress

Victoria Wood – comedian, writer, actress, songwriter, musician, (incredible I love her)

Lili Boulanger – composer, teacher

Octavia Butler – novelist

Cleopatra (here) – empress, queen, ruler

Mariah Carey – singer, entrepreneur

Carol Ann Duffy – poet

Cissy Houston – singer, mother, matriarch

Ann Brashares – author of beautifully written books primarily for teen girls

Anika Noni Rose – actress, singer

Corinne Bailey Rae – singer, songwriter

Alex aka Swampmother – musician, arranger, singer, songwriter

Hope Larson – artist, writer

Kat Von D – tattooist, entrepreneur

Sadako Sasaki (here) – activist, child victim

Gloria Steinem – entrepreneur, feminist, activist

Vikki Stone – composer, musician, comedian, writer

Philippa Rice – graphic artist, writer, cartoonist

tUnEyArDs – songwriter and musican

Estelle – musician, singer, voice actress,

CLAMP – group of 4 female manga artists, prolific writers of manga

Lindsay Cooper – bassoonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer

Ivy Wallace – painter, author, illustrator

Tove Jannson – illustrator, novelist, painter

Dolly Parton – singer, songwriter, entrepreneur

Toni Collette – actress, singer

Virginia Woolf – novelist, poet, essayist

Sacheen Littlefeather – activist

Lauryn Hill – singer, rapper, musician

Jane Goodall – primatologist, ethologist, conservationist, activist

Marjane Satrapi – cartoonist, director, artist, illustrator

Esperanza Spalding – bassist, composer, teacher, musician

Zelda Fitzgerald – dancer, artist, writer

Esther Williams – swimmer, actress, musical theatre “mermaid”

Mariana Tosca – animal rights activist, campaigner, actress

Judy Garland – actress, singer, dancer, entertainer, mother

Artemis/Diana (here) – Greek/Roman goddess of hunting, animals, fertility and compassion

Queen Rania of Jordan – politician, activist

Cher – actress, singer, entrepreneur

Ingrid Newkirk – activist, founder of PETA, campaigner

Liza Minelli – singer, actress, performer

Anita Roddick – entrepreneur, creator of The Body Shop

Ursula K Le Guin – novelist, poet

Charleyne Yi – filmmaker, actress, comedian, musician

Brigitte Bardot – activist, campaigner, actress/musician

Nina Simone – activist, composer, pianist, singer, writer, performer

Malalai Joya – activist, writer, politician

Laura Mulvey – film theorist, writer, specialist of feminist film theory

Eve Ensler – playwright, performer

Laurie Anderson – musician, performance artist, filmmaker

Delia Derbyshire – composer, musician, groundbreaking early electronic musician

Yoko Ono – performance artist, writer, musician, activist

Laura Nyro – musician, songwriter, composer

Nico – singer, songwriter

Cindy Lowry – animal rights campaigner, rescue co-ordinator, Greenpeace activist

Ariel Levy – author, writer

Dagmar Krause – incredibly diverse singer, performer, writer

Rukmini Devi – founder of Indian Animal Welfare Board, Bollywood dancer

My Mum (here) – creator, wife, mother