Hi, I'm Meryl Cubley and I have worked as a freelance journalist and editor for most of the major magazine publishing houses, including Condé Nast, Bauer, Hearst, and Future. 

​

I have written for titles such as Red, Marie Claire, Marie Claire South Africa, Grazia, Elle decor, You magazine, Psychologies, Scarlet magazine, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Rude magazine, The Guardian, The Independent, Your Healthy Living, the Humanist Society of  Scotland Humanitie magazine, The World Class Series and Outdoor Fitness and Adventure magazine, as well as many others. 

​

My journalistic work specialises in feature and comment articles, observation on modern society and culture - and the effects upon women. I 'cut my teeth' as they say, living in London and picking up journalist work wherever I could get it.

 

I soon found that the 'sloane ranger' figure had survived the 1980's and reigned supreme in the glossy women's magazine sector of the publishing world.

 

A girl originally from the north of England did not quite fit in. 

 

Editors liked 'my voice', however, and feminist articles, relationship pieces, sex features, views on love in the contemporary world and advice and 'best friend' style features on female sexual health became my raison d'etre.

 

And paid my rent. 

 

Along with my peers, we brave young women wrote like our lives depended on it; and the more 'shocking' the better. We paved the way for the contemporary women writers of today, just as women of previous generations have paved the way for us. For women to be able to freely talk about and publish whatever we want is pretty new in terms of modern history. 

 

One of my notable works early on, was the feature - Do I look like the kind of girl who uses porn? for Grazia magazine - which was a 'fight back' feminist piece against the significant increase in (male) use of internet pornography in the early 2000's. At the time this was seen as a shocking revelation for a 'female' to make; and was picked up by the national broadcasters; and subsequently saw the start of my TV appearances.  

 

I debated my point of view with other journalists and experts on live television broadcast; and this led to my being asked to appear frequently on similar broadcast opinion piece shows; for ITV, Channel 4 and 5. 

​

Around this time, I was commissioned to write a series of erotic literature titles - written under a pseudonym, to protect my more conservative (male) clients - which often gave an amused nod to the classics, with a defined and sharp feminist angle and a healthy helping of humour. 

 

My first love was always print and digital magazines; however, and I continued to write voraciously for the women's market; steadily building my freelance career across two decades and beyond. 

​

I am particularly proud to have been involved with some stand-out projects, via my promotional and interview work for Rude Magazine, with Nicci Talbot - a professional relationship that became a friendship - since our days of working at Scarlet magazine together in the early London days. 

 

They include: 

 

Surgeon Gabriel Weston and her book focused on what goes on in the minds of surgeons whilst carrying out abortions, in Dirty Work. 

 

Documentary maker Sue Bourne's Fabulous Fashionistas, a film focused on anti-ageism and celebrating women for Channel 4. 

 

New York's advertising queen, kick-ass-activist and business ball buster, Cindy Gallop and the Make Love Not Porn campaign. 

 

As well as feminist topics, I have written extensively on travel, work, the arts, food and drink, interiors, lifestyle, design and architecture. I have also undertaken striking and memorable profile interviews with everyone from rock stars (and their spouses) to well-known models and burlesque performers, documentary film makers, artists and photographers, to surgeons, captains of industry and global leaders and thinkers. 

 

In recent years, I have been heavily involved with the hospitality sector as the head lead on the Welsh arm of the national #nomorenoshows campaign, along with partners Find My Dine, during the COVID pandemic. The campaign successfully educated the public of the consequences of 'no shows' for restaurateurs; as well as winning optimum media coverage, publicity and support throughout Wales; significantly reducing the number of no shows - not only in the cities of Wales - but also in the rural and coastal areas, where food and tourism is intrinsically linked to economy. 

​

Since the pandemic, I have worked with local and independent businesses and work with them to raise awareness of their brand, gain local and national media coverage, engage and build relationships with customer and client demographics, and promote services to wider audiences. My work with independent business includes copywriting, PR, promotion and media coverage. 

 

I work in a freelance capacity with View Publishing and head up Cowbridge View magazine. 

​

In 2020, I finally got married (at the fabulous age of 47) and we moved to the countryside and bought a very dilapidated Welsh cottage from the 1800's and originally, a one-storey arable worker dwelling. 

​

I am currently working on perimenopause projects that aim to raise awareness, education, access and support for women throughout the UK; and also debating what my next book is going to be about... 

​

​