About me
I'm an award-winning journalist and author who has worked in print and online for 14 years.
Previously I worked as Executive Editor for HuffPost UK - the second most-read digital news site in the UK. As well as being deputy to the EIC and managing site-wide and global editorial projects, I looked after the Lifestyle section as well as the Blogs team.
Named in Balance magazine's Wellness 100 list for work across wellbeing and mental health, at present I work as a freelance digital consultant and journalist having written for The Pool, The Guardian, Red magazine, Cosmo, Stylist, Daily Telegraph, Balance and Women's Health.
Most recently, I have written a book, Chase The Rainbow, published by Simon & Schuster and am working on my second, In Search Of Silence.
Other roles have included public speaking at major B2B and consumer events, broadcast for BBC and Channel 5, as well as judging for the Own Media Awards (chair), First Women Awards, British Book Awards and the Sony World Photography Awards.
Projects
- Neelam Gill and the fight against the pressure to be palePublished by: The Guardian Date: 14th May, 2018 Author: Poorna Bell Every Asian woman has a colourism story to tell. Maybe it was last week, when a relative remarked on how dark she had gone in the sun. Or perhaps it’s a story from girlhood: the first time someone said she shouldn’t play outdoors because she would “tan”. Either way, wherever we are on the colour spectrum, we have all had a moment when we realised that, among our own people, darker skin wasn’t valued, loved or admired. “We grow
- Why we need to talk about suicide in the Asian communityPublished by: BBC Date: 31st August, 2018 Author: Poorna Bell Poorna Bell is a freelance journalist. Three years ago, her husband took his own life. Since then, she has been studying the ways that different communities deal - and don't deal - with the issues of mental health and suicide. Three years ago, my husband, Rob, died by suicide. He was staying in New Zealand with family at the time. It was heartbreaking, and the ramifications of his death are still felt today. I belong to the British
- Judge at Mind Media AwardsWe're Mind, the mental health charity. We exist to make sure anyone with a mental health problem gets support and respect. We know that media reports can have a huge impact on people’s mental health, prompting them to start conversations, seek help and support each other. That’s why we hold the Mind Media Awards every year, to recognise and celebrate the best possible representations of mental health across TV, radio, print and online. Find out more here
Projects credited in
- Sonder & Tell + Jigsaw create Comfort Zones the bookThe iconic fashion brand Jigsaw is in the business of selling clothes, not books. But we believed that an essay anthology could appeal to the Jigsaw customer’s wider cultural interests, align the brand with their target audience and raise money for a relevant cause. We worked closely with their marketing team and EIC Ana Santi along with design studio Duzi to create Comfort Zones the book, a collection of essays, letters and stories by 28 influential women writers. We challenged writers to go o
- I am a Marvel - Photo Portrait SeriesInspired by the upcoming @marvelstudios film Captain Marvel @captainmarvelofficial a tale of a hero’s journey of a female fighter pilot Carol Danvers. 3 creatives have come together to photograph a collection of 11 inspirational women who embody her spirit, strength and humanity. These women represent diversity in ethnicity, background, body forms and age. In their ever-evolving and inspirational lives these women have soared and are still soaring “Higher, Further, Faster”. They are rising to th
- Leaders with social heart: 100 creative changemakersCelebrating social responsibility is at the heart of what we do, so we've partnered with Squarespace – whose mission is to inspire people with creative ideas to succeed – to shine a light on 100 influential luminaries from art, technology, charity, design, business and more that are working tirelessly to make our world a better place. To highlight these organisations, we asked 10 creative changemakers to each nominate 10 people behind inspiring brands, products and movements with amazing social
Skills
- Copywriting
- Journalism
- Content and Media Writing