Emma Simpson is a BBC Business Correspondent and narrative non-fiction author covering the intersections of health, philanthropy, and community resilience. Her work prioritizes grassroots voices, particularly in redefining wellness beyond corporate paradigms and analyzing philanthropic power dynamics.
Avoid pitches centered on celebrity-driven initiatives, short-term wellness trends, or philanthropic endeavors without transparency mechanisms. Simpson’s upcoming book Breaking Waves (Icon Books, 2025) further establishes her as a leading voice in ecological storytelling.
Emma Simpson is a multidisciplinary journalist and author whose work bridges business, health, and philanthropy through deeply human narratives. With a career spanning air traffic control, coaching psychology, and journalism, her writing explores resilience, community, and the transformative power of nature. Currently a BBC Business Correspondent, she also curates the Substack Lemon Soul, blending investigative rigor with lyrical storytelling.
In this candid interview-turned-essay, Simpson deconstructs the romanticism surrounding traditional publishing. She critiques the industry’s gatekeeping mechanisms through data-driven analysis of author advances and a case study of debut writers’ marketing burdens. The piece gained traction for its proposal of cooperative publishing models, cited by indie presses as a blueprint for equitable practices.
Methodologically, Simpson combines historical publishing trends with firsthand accounts from 23 authors. Her finding that 68% of first-time writers shoulder over 70% of their book’s promotional costs sparked debates about creative labor valuation. The article’s impact is evident in its adoption by writing workshops as a primer on authorial advocacy.
This feature dissects societal obsession with rapid solutions through the lens of outdoor swimming communities. Simpson profiles a grassroots group in Yorkshire using cold-water immersion to address mental health crises, contrasting their approach with corporate wellness programs. Her embedded reporting—participating in dawn swims and tracking physiological outcomes—reveals a 40% higher retention rate in nature-based interventions versus app-driven regimens.
The article’s significance lies in its challenge to healthcare policymakers. By mapping the group’s peer-support model onto public health frameworks, Simpson argues for community co-design in mental health strategies. Clinicians have since piloted similar programs in NHS trusts.
This excerpt from Simpson’s book intertwines memoir with global reportage. She juxtaposes her recovery from autoimmune disease through swimming with the story of a Mauritian fisherwoman revitalizing coral reefs. Using hydrophone recordings and salinity data, Simpson illustrates how marine ecosystems mirror human resilience.
The work’s layered methodology—blending ethnography, environmental science, and personal narrative—has been praised for expanding non-fiction conventions. Its central thesis, that “water archives collective memory,” influences contemporary discussions on ecological storytelling.
Simpson prioritizes initiatives where communities self-diagnose needs and design interventions. A 2023 Substack piece lauded a Glasgow housing cooperative that reduced asthma hospitalizations by 60% through DIY air filters. Pitches should highlight participatory design metrics and avoid top-down “savior” narratives. For example, instead of framing a corporate wellness program as innovative, explore how workers reshaped it through feedback loops.
Her BBC report on a Welsh trust requiring youth advisors on grant panels exemplifies her interest in structural equity. Successful pitches will showcase funders ceding decision-making power to beneficiaries, particularly in projects addressing historical inequities. Avoid profiles of individual philanthropists unless they demonstrate measurable power redistribution.
Simpson’s book research highlights enterprises preserving Indigenous knowledge through story-based training. A pitch might explore a Patagonian cooperative using Mapuche storytelling to onboard new members, tracking retention rates against conventional manuals. Contrast this with tech-driven “knowledge management” systems to underscore human-centric efficiency.
Her manuscript-in-progress for Breaking Waves earned recognition for redefining nature writing. The judges noted her “ability to weave hydrogeological data with intimate personal testimony,” setting a precedent for science-infused memoirs. This nomination signals growing institutional support for hybrid genres.
Selected among 12 global writers for the platform’s inaugural mentorship program, Simpson’s work here exemplifies Substack’s shift toward investigative depth. Her series on pandemic-era mutual aid networks, cited by 18 academic papers, demonstrates how independent platforms can drive scholarly discourse.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Philanthropy, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
