Join author, journalist and Stylist’s 2019 Rising Star Poorna Bell, to mark the publication of her debut novel, In Case of Emergency.

The event will initially be broadcast on 30th July at 6.30pm UK time. It will be available to view up to a week after the event has ended and can be accessed Worldwide. If you live in a time zone that does not suit the initial broadcast time you can watch it at any point after the initial showing for one week.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

Bel Kumar is a successful thirty-something woman with a bustling circle of friends, a thriving career and a flat in London. Some might even say she’s thriving.

But when she wakes up in hospital after a near-fatal accident at work, she is shocked and confused as to why her ex-boyfriend from years passed is the only one to appear at her bedside thanks to a mistake on her HR records. Because who else could she have chosen to turn to in a time of vulnerability? This ill-fated reunion leaves Bel questioning everything about the life she has crafted and determined to revisit and repair the most important relationships in her life. But that's going to be easier said than done because Bel has never been good at asking for help. And besides, she's doing just fine on her own... Isn't she?

In Case of Emergency intimately explores the societal pressures placed on women today, from messy relationships to career headaches, family guilt and the friendships that define us. In conversation with Zing Tsjeng for this virtual event, Poorna will explore her inspiration for the book and the experience of writing her first novel. She’ll also consider how the novel reflects the full intricacies, joys and nuances of life as a Brown British woman in the UK today, a perspective that has been sorely lacking in media and entertainment narratives to date.

Tune in for what is sure to be an illuminating and incisive event.

‘A gorgeous read full of warmth, humour and relatable moments that make you realise you’re less alone in the world.’ Salma El-Wardany, author of These Impossible Things and It’s Not About the Burqa contributor

‘Poorna gives readers – whatever their age – the confidence to explore their inner and outer strength in such life-affirming style.’ Stacey Solomon