2022 has been a really interesting year for me professionally. My role at Now Then magazine, where I was a community correspondent focusing on reporting on the LGBTQ+ and disability communities, changed as I took over as editor for six months to cover the regular editor’s parental leave. Since he has come back to work, we are sharing the role, and I am still focusing on my original remit as well. I spend half my working week at Now Then and the other half freelancing. Most of my freelance work this year has been editing, whether at Global Comment or doing sensitivity editing for a range of aut ..read more

I was recently invited onto the No Shame In My Name podcast. It’s a podcast I already listened to and I invited the host to take part in Global Comment’s Podcast Showcase, after which she invited me to be a guest on the show. I had a really fun chat with Juliana about the name Philippa, the name’s odd meaning, and my thoughts about names and how they impact our lives. Plus what I’d call my imaginary children. Listen, and enjoy! Transcript Hi guys, you’re now listening to Episode 75 of the No Shame In My Name podcast. I’m Juliana and today we’re joined by special guest. Philippa Willitts. Hi ..read more

Rob Drummond, Manchester Metropolitan University He’s been called “punctuation’s answer to Banksy”. A self-styled grammar vigilante who spends his nights surreptitiously correcting apostrophes on shop signs and billboards. The general consensus is that he’s a modern-day hero – a mysterious crusader against the declining standards of English. But his exploits represent an altogether darker reality. The man himself is not particularly offensive. In a BBC Radio 4 report, he comes across as a reasonable person who simply feels a compulsion to quietly make a difference to what matters to him. He do ..read more

A couple of years ago, I started offering sensitivity reading for disability- and LGBT-related topics. I have worked on some fascinating manuscripts since then, including both fiction and non-fiction texts, and have worked with some brilliant authors and publishing houses. It was exciting to see this role begin to gain popularity as authors realised the benefits of making sure that their representations of marginalised characters or issues affecting marginalised communities were not going to alienate or inadvertently upset the very readers they wanted to attract. In recent weeks, however, sens ..read more

A few weeks ago, I wrote about conversion therapy for Now Then, the magazine where I am a community correspondent. I had been trying for several months to find a local case study and, in the absence of anybody willing to talk about their own experiences, I shared mine instead. I was surprised by how confronting it felt to address the experiences I had when I was younger; surprising mostly because I did not undergo conversion therapy myself, instead I was offered it… twice. But being told you need it does profound damage to your sense of self, your sense of goodness, and your confidence. As a r ..read more

Ten years ago, I embarked on a self-employment experiment. And I did it all “wrong”. First, I didn’t tell everyone to support my business as you’re supposed to; instead, I was so convinced that I would fail that I told a handful of my closest people. Second, I didn’t do that smart thing where you work a full-time job while trying to gradually build your freelance clients on the side; instead, I just launched full-time from scratch. I had some savings that could support me if my business failed and I did expect to have to live of them but, to my surprise more than anyone else’s, I got clients ..read more

I was on Paulette Edwards’ show on BBC Radio Sheffield again, this time talking about the Paralympic Games and the visibility it gives to disabled people. There were a couple of other disabled people being interviewed, too, so I’ve clipped my bits here. Transcript Well, listen, I’m going to talk to Philippa now, Philippa Willitts freelance writer and blogger. So for the next couple of weeks, the Paralympics are going to be getting extensive coverage on TV and online. How important Philippa do you think that is? This X kind of exposure? Actually, I think it’s brilliant because it brings a leve ..read more

Claire Needs is a disabled local councillor but, because her council has now removed the option of attending meetings via Zoom, she is being excluded from participating in local democracy. I spoke to BBC Radio Sussex about it. Transcript: Just the five Friday afternoon as we head towards the weekend. Hope you well. So as society opens up after COVID, for some it’s shutting down, that’s been the experience of one disabled Sussex counselor. Who’s unable now to attend council meetings in person, Aaron district counselor, Claire needs lives in a residential care home and to protect other resident ..read more

Last week, Shabaaz Mohammed invited me to be a guest on his intriguingly named podcast Crippled Stomp. Always keen to talk all things disability, I said yes. We had a great chat about white men failing upwards, abuse in ATUs, the French far right, having EMDR for PTSD. Amongst much, much more. The article I discussed is here.   The transcript below was auto-transcribed, so expect errors. Hello, and welcome to another episode of crippled stomp. Today we have another guest. Oh you and Pippa will introduce yourself over the paper. Hi everybody, I’m Pippa or Philippa either goes, not pick th ..read more

I got an email yesterday inviting me to be an affiliate for a health product. By complete coincidence, the product promised to rid its gullible audience of a condition I actually have, so I clicked with interest. The video sales letter, within three short minutes, was outrageously offensive. And I don’t say that lightly. A man was offered life-saving surgery that involved amputating a leg. This is a big deal for anybody, of course. I would not downplay that. But the alternative was death. An Indigenous Two-Spirit person ties their shoelaces while sitting in a chair. They are dressed in all bl ..read more