Absolute Scenes Working Class Stories: Scrubbers!
Stuffed into the cramped minibus, cigarettes ground out with the soles of Kickers and Wallabees (or scraped on kerb before being popped half-smoked back in the packet) we are off and raring to go. Our voices bounce around the damp interior and steam up the windows making them blank pages upon which we can start […]
Absolute Scenes Working Class Stories: Secret Admirer
Each shift begins the same way; a cheery ‘Alright!’ to the security guard who sits behind the vast sweep of the reception desk as we write our names in the signing in book. This is followed by a quick troop across the marbled floor of what I will later learn is called an ‘atrium’ until […]
Social Mobility and Community
Morrissey’s lyric “I could never, never, never go back home again” has always resonated with me. Having left my hometown 30 years ago due to some really difficult circumstances, there were times when I couldn’t face going back to where I grew up. At the same time, I missed the sense of community that comes […]
UnderOne Festival – What a Way to DEI!
As the first event I’ve attended and spoken at that’s dedicated to DEI, UnderOne Festival set the bar higher than an even the most seasoned Olympian would attempt! If you’ve ever been put off by DEI initiatives (and let’s be honest, many people are), this event was a masterclass in how to do it right […]
The 49er – Facing the Final Year of My 40s!
The brilliant thing about being a writer with a long history of baring their soul online is that you’re never more than a click away from bumping into your past self. It is now 10 years since I wrote this piece about being on the cusp of my 40s and of finding enjoyment in friendships […]
Why Mid-Life for Women is the Hard Yards
Those of you who follow me regularly will know I’m quite happy to talk about being “nearly fifty” and how my children pointing it out led to me embarking on the 365-day journey that was The Toni Daily podcast. A year that saw me exploring deep themes of birth and death, love and estrangement, and friendship […]
Absolute Scenes – exciting new book from Toni Kent in 2024
Absolute Scenes <according to Urban Dictionary> When something mental happens when all hope seems lost. Usually used in British football culture. If you listened to the last episode of The Toni Daily podcast, you’ll hear me describe the moment of clarity I had about dedicating this year to writing. From that moment I’ve felt pretty energised – there’s nothing like […]
Successful Keynote Speaker Tips: #2 – 5 Ways to Look after your voice!
When you’re working on becoming a great keynote speaker, one thing that isn’t often talked about is how important it is to look after your voice. It makes sense, because the first thing we tend to worry about when embarking on a creative career is how to turn the thing we love into our livelihood. […]
Why Tech Careers are Great for Working Class Women
If you’re a working class girl from a council estate – is it possible to have a career in tech? And if it is, how on earth are you supposed to get one when you haven’t got a degree? Are tech careers even relevant when you don’t have any idea of what’s involved? As someone who […]
Finding Resilience After Childhood Bereavement
“Resilience” <Noun> 1: The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness 2: The ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity Today marks the anniversary of my dad’s death, aged 43, from cancer. He died at home but I wasn’t there to witness the ambulance workers who came […]