Marketing executive’s novel career move
A Boxley woman has given up her high-flying career in the finance industry to write children’s books.
Heidi Bryant spent 24 years working in marketing with firms such as HSBC, Barclays, Black Rock, Fidelity, Merrill Lynch and the Bank of Montreal, but never shook off her dream of becoming a writer.
She said: “I enjoyed the diversity and challenges of my profession, but over the last several years I’ve really felt that something was missing and that I wasn’t using all of my skills.”
So in a little over a month-anda-half after leaving her job, she wrote her first book, commissioned an illustrator, developed her own website, registered the ISBNs and pretty soon started to receive glowing five-star reviews.
Miss Bryant, 43, is now touring the county selling the title, The Adventures of Vince the Cat – Vince Goes to Paris, at Christmas markets and fairs.
She hopes it will be the first in a series of educational books that combine the adventures of cats with foreign languages, aimed at children aged from three to 11.
Miss Bryant who has two cats of her own, speaks French, German and Spanish, and has just started learning Italian too.
She said: “My dream is that the stories will inspire children to want to learn foreign languages and to find out more about the world in which we live in a fun and entertaining way.”
She is donating part of the proceeds to children’s charity Plan International UK, which works to promote the safety of young people around the world.
The Adventures of Vince the Cat is priced at £4.99 for the e-book, £6.99 for the paperback, or £8.99 for the hardback. For more visit catnapstories.com A 14-year-old from Maidstone scooped a top prize in the Young Cooks culinary contest.
Amelia Page from Invicta Grammar in Huntsman Lane won the secondary school category with her creamy ravioli in seafood sauce followed by Kentish apple sorbet, blackberry purée and crumble.
She beat six other students at an exciting MasterChef-style final staged at East Kent College in Broadstairs, judged by a panel of industry experts and local business representatives.
Amelia received a silver salver, certificate and £150 in prize money. She also automatically won a place in regional competition Rotary Young Chef – where she’ll take on five other youngsters making a bid for the national grand final.
Other Young Cooks finalists from the district included 10-year-olds Anya Goodman from Roseacre Juniors and Alfred Moisan from Sandling School, both competing in the primary category.
Secondary finalists included Leah Matthews, 14, from New Line Learning Academy, and Lauren Harker, 15, of Maidstone Grammar.
Young Cooks was organised by the KM Charity Team and open to youngsters aged six to 19. Entrants created one or two dishes, depending on competition category, with a budget of £2.50 per meal.
Altogether 18 finalists from across Kent - the most in the contest’s history - battled it out to win the primary, secondary, and family categories. The overall champion’s trophy went to Boglar Bote Godri from St Nicholas Primary in Shepway.
Entry to next year’s contest will soon open at YoungCooks.org.uk