Women’s history Month: Q&A with camille campbell
Camille Campbell
Author, Founder of Rising Poets Community, Youth Ambassador for She's the First.
what Advice would you give to those who want to be writers?
Write what you're most passionate about—because that passion will always shine through in your stories. If you're not sure what that is, think about the types of books you enjoy reading—the more specific traits you can find in your favorite books, the better. Then, start jotting down things that you would like to read in a book. Once you come up with your idea, find inspiration by visiting a museum, creating a Pinterest mood board, or ordering research books to give more texture to your writing. I'd also recommend reading books published recently to get an idea of the market and consider joining a local writing critique group to get some honest feedback on your work.
What was your aim in writing the book Her Poems: Women Poets Who Changed the World?
After delving into a topic that has always intrigued me–inspiring women throughout history– an idea came to my mind. What if I write a book about women poets? There are various books about trailblazing women in different areas, but not poetry, which is something that I wanted to change with my book. After writing about the women poets, I realized that I wanted to turn the book into something that could be used by both teachers and parents to teach poetry to children. That's when the idea of creating poetry activities was added to the book. I hope to inspire a generation of upcoming poets to not be afraid to use their voices.
What has your experience of being a Youth Ambassador at She's the First been like?
As a Youth Ambassador at She's the First, it's been very important to me to highlight the experiences of girls and raise awareness of current events that impact women. She’s the First is a girl-empowerment nonprofit that works to create a world where every girl is educated, respected and heard. The Youth Ambassador Program at She’s the First helps girls gain digital advocacy skills and positively impact their communities. The first campaign I created as a Youth Ambassador was to raise awareness about women’s rights in Iran. After I read the news about the Iranian revolution, I really wanted to do my part in boosting the media coverage of the brave protesters in Iran who risk their lives every day. Another project that has been close to my heart was the Voices of Ukrainian Girls since I have Ukrainian heritage. I'm so grateful to the team at She's the First for giving me the opportunity to raise my voice on topics that matter to me. Getting to know the inspiring team at She's the First—which is full of women who I look up to—has been one of my favorite parts of being an ambassador!
Which books would you recommend young women to read for inspiration?
I would highly recommend Lauren McGoodwin's book Power Moves: How Women Can Pivot, Reboot, and Build a Career of Purpose—it is an excellent handbook that is filled with inspiring advice from the trailblazing founder of Career Contessa. I also love Vee Kativhu's book Empowered: Live Your Life with Passion and Purpose; Vee's book is insightful, and life-changing. If you're looking for a book that would motivate younger girls, I'd highly recommend Zibby Owens' picture book Princess Charming, which carries the important message of never giving up and promotes girl power.
What are the names of women you admire?
Some women who inspire me and have done many things to empower women to pursue leadership positions include Julia Palatovska, Maureen Kelly, Amy Jo Martin, and Melanie Perkins.
Camille S. Campbell is the author of Amazon bestselling Wishner Prophecy series. Ever since her debut novel, The Wishner's Curse, hit the shelves, Camille's work has gone on to receive the international Gold Moonbeam Book Award and Purple Dragonfly Book Award. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit Rising Poets Community.
