We Went to the Festival of the Girl

And We’re Not the Same

Yesterday, something shifted.

We packed up our colouring pens and pencils, colourful paper and A4 printed pages of Good Girl Deprogramming - Teen Edition, headed to the Sports Hall at Newcastle University, and joined the wonderful, noisy, hopeful chaos that is the Festival of the Girl Newcastle. And we left feeling both energised and more determined than ever.

The Room That Surprised Us (In the Best Way)

Let’s start with James’s observation, because it stopped us in our tracks: the dads.

There were so many of them. Caring, engaged, present dads - dads who clocked the challenges their daughters face and immediately wanted to know: what can I do? That wasn’t what we expected, and it moved us.

Because this isn’t just a “mum thing” or an “auntie thing” (though the mums and aunties were absolutely there too, in their brilliant numbers). This is a family thing. A human thing. Parents of all kinds are watching their daughters grow and quietly worrying about what’s coming.

We also spoke to a handful of teachers. They see it, they recognise the moment when a girl starts to shrink, to second-guess, to perform rather than just be. But they told us honestly: they’re not always sure what to do. That gap between awareness and action? That’s where the work is. And it’s work we’re here to do.

The Need Is Real - And So Is the Willingness

Here’s what struck me most: the sheer number of organisations, charities, and changemakers gathered under one roof. It was marvellous. A whole ecosystem of people who care, who are already doing the work, who are refusing to accept that girls’ potential should be quietly suffocated by pressure to conform.

There’s a need. A big one. But there’s also a willingness, and that combination is powerful.

We sold out of Good Girl Deprogramming - Teen Edition. Every. Single. Copy. We even sold a sneaky copy of the original Good Girl Deprogramming for good measure. If that’s not a sign that this message is landing, I don’t know what is.

The Bit That Keeps Me Up at Night

Here’s my honest reflection, and I’m not going to dress it up.

There is something heartbreaking about watching bubbly, chatty, creative, curious girls, the ones lighting up rooms and asking questions and laughing loudly, and knowing that for many of them, senior school will bring immense pressure to fold themselves smaller. To be quieter. To be good. To conform.

The transformation from that bright spark into a shell of who she is - it doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen because anyone wants it to. It happens because the conditioning is relentless and everywhere, and because no one told her she didn’t have to comply.

That’s why the work matters. That’s why books like ours exist. That’s why events like the Festival of the Girl exist.

We need more of this. More spaces where girls hear clearly: you are powerful. You are precious. You do not have to make yourself smaller to be loved.

A Huge Thank You to Abi

None of this happens without someone who dares to organise it. Abi, the Festival of the Girl Newcastle was an absolute triumph - and that is entirely down to you and your epic team. AMAZING work. Seriously.

There’s another Festival of the Girl and Festival of the Boy coming later this year in London. You can find out more about them here.

Get the Book That Started the Conversation

If today resonated with you - if you recognised your daughter, your student, or your younger self in any of this, Good Girl Deprogramming - Teen Edition is for you.

Co-authored by the most marvellous Caroline Bowmer and me, it’s a practical, honest, empowering guide for the girls in your life who are navigating the pressure to be “good” at the cost of being themselves. Written specifically for teens and the adults who love and work with them, it gives you the language, the tools, and the permission to start a different conversation.

Because the girls in your life deserve to know who they really are - before the world convinces them otherwise.

Grab your copy of Good Girl Deprogramming - Teen Edition directly from me (or you can find it in all the good (and awful) bookshops)

And if you missed out today, the original Good Girl Deprogramming is available there too - because deprogramming is a journey worth starting at any age.

Big love,

Mx