To celebrate International Women’s Day, The Argus had created a round up of some of the most inspiring women from the county.
From athletes to authors, presenter and politicians, Sussex is home to some incredible women who have achieved wonderful things in their careers.
The county has produced leading figures who continue to be well regarded to this day.
It was difficult to whittle it down to five, but these women all stood out for their inspirational impact that lives on in Sussex.
1. Virginia Woolf - Widely considered one of the important modernist authors of the 20th century, Virginia Woolf lived long periods of her life in Sussex. She and her husband Leonard Woolf occupied two houses in Sussex: first, Asheham House near Beggingham, which was Woolf’s favourite and which sadly no longer exists, and then Monk’s House, in Rodmell, which they bought in July 1919. Woolf visited Brighton often. Works like Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse are still read to this day and her legacy lives on.
2. Anita Roddick - Anita Roddick was one of Sussex’s most successful businesswomen. She founded The Body Shop in 1976, which is still going strong with a store on Brighton’s North Street and others across the county. Anita was known for campaigning in the environmental and charity sectors and became a Dame in 2003. She died in 2007, but is remembered for her many accomplishments.
3. Johanna Konta - Johanna Konta shot to fame following a successful few years in tennis. In 2017 she reached a career high fourth in the world rankings and has won three tour titles. The Eastbourne player also reached Wimbledon’s semi-finals in 2017. She has since retired, and gave birth to her daughter Emmeline in September last year.
4. Jacqueline Wilson - Best known for her Tracy Beaker novels, Jacqueline Wilson is one of the UK’s most celebrated modern children’s authors. The 77-year-old lives in Alfriston with her partner Trish and continues to write novels. She has sold over 40 million books in the UK alone, and will be at the Brighton Festival in May this year.
5. Zoe Ball - Zoe Ball was the first female host of the breakfast shows on both BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2, where she continues to present the morning radio programme. She lives in the heart of the Ashdown Forest has also presented It Takes Two, the midweek chat show about Strictly Come Dancing. Zoe Ball supports the Campaign Against Living Miserably, after losing her boyfriend to suicide in 2017
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