People's Book Prize Winner Eileen Younghusband

I've met a few exceptionally inspirational characters in my life, and I have just added to that list after meeting the wonderful Eileen Younghusband, who I am delighted to announce as of today has won the People's Book Prize non-fiction category for 'One Woman's War'!

Recently I attended a talk at Cardiff University by Eileen, also author of 'Men I Have Known' and 'An Extraordinary Life'.  Ninety-one years young, Eileen gave a small group of us a whistlestop overview of her life, which has taken her from an RAF filter room in WWII, to being a hotelier, dealing in scrap metal, and now beginning a new career as an author. 

Eileen's life story is fascinating, and I can't wait to read the above book which I purchased on the day.  At the end of the talk I asked Eileen what drives her appetite for learning, which has been a consistent theme throughout her life - was it out of necessity or something else? "Fulfillment", was the reply.

You might recognise Eileen if you watched 'The One Show' recently, as she appeared in a feature talking about how she helped calculate the launch sites of German V2 rockets in WWII for them to be destroyed by Allied forces.  If you missed it, have a look at the clip below.

There's also a chance coming up to meet Eileen in person.  As part of the year-round events associated with the Cowbridge Book Festival here in South Wales, Eileen is giving a talk on Thursday 4th July, 2:30pm at the United Free Church, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan.  If you do go, don't forget to wish her a happy birthday - she'll turn 92 on that day!