Still on the fence when it comes to purchasing your Stylist Live LUXE ticket? Well, here’s something to chuck you over it: the brilliant Emma Barnett will be speaking over the weekend, and we are more than thrilled. For starters, her book Period is a favourite here at Stylist. 

Essentially, Barnett’s the older sister we all needed growing up and the woman we all aspire to be. And, as if you needed even more convincing, here are five reasons to love her:

Barnett joined The Daily Telegraph in 2009, later becoming the paper’s first digital media editor and then in 2012 the women’s editor. She launched The Telegraph’s digital section, “Wonder Women”, in October 2012, and soon began presenting the morning slot on BBC Radio 5 Live, becoming the first woman to have a solo daily slot in two years. 

In 2014 she was a judge for the Woman’s Hour power list, and she’s also been an occasional presenter on the BBC Radio 4 show – the youngest in the programme’s history, in fact. 

This year, she knows no signs of slowing down: just a few months ago, she became one of the regular presenters on BBC Two’s Newsnight. Phew.

Case in point.

Barnett’s best-seller book, Period, is a myth-busting, funny and poignant read, not to mention a brilliantly honest take on menstruation. 

Thank you, Barnett, for teaching us the importance of period pride!

As well as laying the groundwork in her book, Barnett makes a point of untangling the taboo around periods whenever and wherever she can. 

“12 train emojis,” she once pointed out, “but for periods women have to use the Japanese flag to denote blood on a white patch. Sorry Japan.”

Barnett faced criticism surrounding the topic of her book. Some fans of her fantastic political journalism thought she should have written something “more important”. What did she do? Dedicated the book to them. And we back her all the way. 

Get £10 off your Stylist Live LUXE ticket using code LUXEEMMA at checkout. Find out more about the event here.

Images: BBC / HQ