About

Inspired by the poem written by Maya Angelou, 'Phenomenal Woman' the Gainsborough Hotel launched a series in 2018 inviting women from all backgrounds who have achieved recognition and made a significant impact in their field to share their experiences and challenges encountered in their path to success.

Their third 'Phenomenal Women' guest speaker for 2025 is Noo Saro-Wiwa, a London-based author and journalist.  Born in Nigeria and raised in Surrey, England, she attended journalism school at Columbia University in New York and wrote for travel guide publishers, Rough Guide and Lonely Planet, which introduced her to travelling independently around Africa in her twenties.

Her first book, Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria, was published to critical acclaim in 2012. Her second book, Black Ghosts: A Journey Into the Lives of Africans in China was released in 2023. Noo has written for The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement and Chatham House, and is currently a staff writer for Condé Nast Traveller magazine.

She is the daughter of the environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa who was killed in 1995 by Nigeria's military dictatorship after he campaigned against oil spills in the Niger Delta. Noo has recently published a report looking at armed militancy in the Niger Delta 30 years after her father's death.

Tickets
£15 and include prosecco and canapes.