Maria Coole
Maria Coole is a contributing editor on Marie Claire.
Hello Marie Claire readers – you have reached your daily destination. I really hope you’re enjoying our reads and I'm very interested to know what you shared, liked and didn’t like (gah, it happens) by emailing me at: maria.coole@freelance.ti-media.com
But if you fancy finding out who you’re venting to then let me tell you I’m the one on the team that remembers the Spice Girls the first time round. I confidently predicted they’d be a one-hit wonder in the pages of Bliss magazine where I was deputy editor through the second half of the 90s. Having soundly killed any career ambitions in music journalism I’ve managed to keep myself in glow-boosting moisturisers and theatre tickets with a centuries-spanning career in journalism.
Yes, predating t’internet, when 'I’ll fax you' was grunted down a phone with a cord attached to it; when Glastonbury was still accessible by casually going under or over a flimsy fence; when gatecrashing a Foo Fighters aftershow party was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy and tapping Dave Grohl on the shoulder was... oh sorry I like to ramble.
Originally born and bred in that there Welsh seaside town kindly given a new lease of life by Gavin & Stacey, I started out as a junior writer for the Girl Guides and eventually earned enough Brownie points to move on and have a blast as deputy editor of Bliss, New Woman and editor of People newspaper magazine. I was on the launch team of Look in 2007 - where I stuck around as deputy editor and acting editor for almost ten years - shaping a magazine and website at the forefront of body positivity, mental wellbeing and empowering features. More recently, I’ve been Closer executive editor, assistant editor at the Financial Times’s How To Spend It (yes thanks, no probs with that life skill) and now I’m making my inner fangirl’s dream come true by working on this agenda-setting brand, the one that inspired me to become a journalist when Marie Claire launched back in 1988.
I’m a theatre addict, lover of Marvel franchises, most hard cheeses, all types of trees, half-price Itsu, cats, Dr Who, cherry tomatoes, Curly-Wurly, cats, blueberries, cats, boiled eggs, cats, maxi dresses, cats, Adidas shelltops, cats and their kittens. I’ve never knowingly operated any household white goods and once served Ripples as a main course. And finally, always remember what the late great Nora Ephron said, ‘Everything is copy.’
Latest articles by Maria Coole
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#savethearts: Five industry-leading creatives on why the arts matter
By Maria Coole
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#savethearts Jess Murphy: 'We organised a live music protest outside Parliament'
By Maria Coole
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#savethearts Sabrina Mahfouz: 'There are embers of hope across the creative industry'
By Maria Coole
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#savethearts Beth Steel: ‘A week before rehearsals my play was postponed’
By Maria Coole
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Pandemic proof your career by showing your true worth
Establishing your value as an employee or freelancer is vital in these tough economic times. Business coach Shilpa Panchmatia shares the six skills that will pandemic proof your career.
By Maria Coole
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Christmas is coming but so is separation from (a lot) of loved ones. A psychotherapist has coping strategies
We're still months away from the normal times, so psychotherapist Owen O'Kane shares four top tips on dealing with separation during the pandemic
By Maria Coole
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Tropes for women: why The Crown's not the only one show needing an urgent reset
The Crown's portrayal of Diana as a one-dimensional victim is the latest and unsurprising example of tired tropes for women. Author and performer, Anneka Harry, says it's time for accurate representations of imperfect female characters
By Maria Coole
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Coercive control: how to spot the signs when love turns sinister
Have you seen Is This Coercive Control? If not, why not? It's the jawdropping BBC Three social experiment asking people if they know what constitutes coercive control. Journalist, filmmaker and presenter, Ellie Flynn, writes for the first time about making the show and what lessons we can learn about this misunderstood form of domestic abuse
By Maria Coole
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Help fight breast cancer by bidding on iconic portraits
Top artists and photographers are taking part in breast cancer charity Future Dreams amazing virtual art auction
By Maria Coole
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International Men's Day: 'We're struggling with the chaos of modern masculinity' says Martin Robinson
This International Men's Day seems a good time to ask Martin Robinson, founder and editor of The Book Of Man, to tell us honestly what impact lockdown and a post MeToo world have had on the fractured male identity
By Maria Coole
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Meghan and Diana: the poignant parallels between the rebel royals
As we all binge-watch Princess Diana in the new season of The Crown, Kerry Parnell investigates the stark similarities between Meghan's emotional confession on being trolled and this week's 25th anniversary of Diana's bombshell Panorama interview
By Maria Coole
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'Why lingerie is still a feminist issue'
For far too long, lingerie was designed and marketed through the male gaze. Emma Parker, a lawyer turned founder of Playful Promises, tells us why feminism and diversity is at the heart of her mission to represent everyone
By Maria Coole
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Accent bias: Is yours a problem and should you change it?
Speech therapist Shermeena Rabbi explains why accent bias is still a thing and what to do if you're being judged negatively
By Maria Coole
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How a Banksy mat is giving refugee women hope
In one of Greece’s bleak camps women are finding inspiration in the toughest of circumstances, reports Louise Court. And their Banksy-designed creations are on every Christmas gift wishlist
By Maria Coole
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Claudia Winkleman on getting over other people's perfect lives
Back on our screens with Strictly and definitely on our reading list with her debut book, Quite, the funny and fabulous Claudia Winkleman is here to get a few things off her chest
By Maria Coole
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'End SARS protesters are aware of their rights and it's vital we support them'
As her country reels under ongoing police brutality and corruption, Ene Obi, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria tells Marie Claire how Nigerian's youth are the key to a brighter future
By Maria Coole
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Seyi Akiwowo: "Why it's crucial you're an online accomplice for Black women"
Seyi Akiwowo, Founder of Glitch, explains how to be an online accomplice to Black women and why a little can mean a lot in the face of online abuse
By Maria Coole
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Self-help guru Rachel Hollis shares ways to get back on track when the world's against you
Fear. Grief. Loss. Betrayal. Best-selling author Rachel Hollis has been through all these emotions. Here, she shares her five crucial ways to get through the mother of all years
By Maria Coole
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10 ways to beat workplace burnout
The rise in carefully curated career porn, 24/7 connectivity and #sidehustles have lead to workplace stress and desktop drop outs. Here resilience coach Jo Owen reveals how to build your mental strength and form healthy work/life habits
By Maria Coole
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Activists speak out on International Day of the Girl: 'Don’t let anyone destroy your future'
From across the globe, six fearless female activists taking a stand against gender inequality and working for a safer, fairer future talk to Marie Claire
By Maria Coole
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Online meetings: how to hold the room and stop men taking over
Because there are only so many times you can switch off the camera so they can't see you silently screaming. Here are five bullet-proof ways a business consultant and leadership coach deals with mansplainers
By Maria Coole
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Instagram turns 10: but is it breaking us or making us more human?
Happy birthday Instagram! A simple photo-sharing app was born on 6 October 2010 and changed the world for better or worse. Now home to more than a billion active users, author Daisy Buchanan examines her complicated relationship with it
By Maria Coole