The Conversation

Two women trying to get into the mind of the serial killer talk to Kim Chakanetsa about the craft of crime fiction. We hear what they're most afraid of, how writing about grim subjects has altered their outlook on life and whether women are particularly good at this genre. Patricia Cornwell is probably the best known female crime writer in the world. Credited with creating the 'forensic thriller', Patricia has sold over 100 million books across the globe and recently published the 24th book in her hugely popular Kay Scarpetta series. Patricia has also long been fascinated by Jack the Ripper, the infamous Victorian serial killer, and has written her own account of his possible identity.Angela Makholwa is a former South African journalist who first got into crime writing after interviewing the real-life serial killer, Moses Sithole, in prison. Her debut novel Red Ink was loosely based on those experiences. She says the role of the writer is to confront the things we all want to run away from. She has since written two more novels and says she enjoys reading crime fiction from Scandinavia, given that she writes about such a radically different part of the world. Angela lives and works in Johannesburg.(L) Image: Patricia Cornwell. Credit: Patrick Ecclesine. (R) Image and credit: Angela Makholwa.

Models challenging perceptions of female beauty talk to Kim Chakanetsa about how the industry is becoming more diverse, why they decided to take up modelling in the first place, and how to maintain that all-important inner confidence. Alex Bruni, originally from Italy, did not start modelling until she was in her late 40s. It was when people began to compliment her on her long, grey hair that she first decided to give it a go. Now nearly 60, she has a successful career as an older model and is keen to put a positive spin on ageing. She tells us to 'embrace the grey'.Mahalia Handley describes herself as a plus-size or curvy model. As a mixed-race, 'chubby' child in small-town Australia, Mahalia rarely saw images of women who resembled her. But she was determined to become a model. Now, aged 24, she has worked for the likes of Vogue, Selfridges and Cosmopolitan. She hopes to be the role model that she never had.Image: (L) Alex Bruni. Credit: Wendy Carrig. Image: (R) Mahalia Handley. Credit: Pepo Fernandez.

Two of the strongest women in the world join Kim Chakanetsa to explain what it's like to be able to out-lift most men.Kristin Rhodes has muscled her way to America's Strongest Woman status seven times. A mother and child-care provider from San Diego, for the last decade she has reigned supreme nationally, and has set three women's world records for strength. When she started out, she was competing in parking lots and winning just a handshake - now she performs in big venues to huge crowds. Kristin is proud to have been instrumental in getting the women's game the recognition she believes it deserves, and to have inspired other women to become stronger themselves.Andrea Thompson is a relative newcomer to strength competitions, having only started weight-lifting two years ago when a coach spotted her in the gym in Suffolk. She's already been declared Britain's Strongest Woman and is hoping to add more medals this year. Andrea says she has always been big, and initially began exercising to lose weight after having her children, but now she has so much muscle she weighs more than she did before. However, finding out the feats her body is capable of has amazed her, and she now loves her larger build.(L) Image: Kristin Rhodes. Credit: Strongman Corporation. (R) Image: Andrea Thompson. Credit: Strongman Corporation.

Two leading female make-up artists speak to Kim Chakanetsa on the power of powder to create looks, moods and characters.Alex Box is a British internationally-renowned fashion make-up artist. Her work is artistic, colourful and unique. Alex's background is in fine art, and she uses that as an inspiration to constantly push the boundaries of her work.Charu Khurana is the first official female make-up artist in Bollywood. She spent years fighting against an informal ban on women working in the film industry across India. Charu is now one of the few professionals in her field to be trained in handling prosthetics.Image: (L) Charu Khurana (credit: N/A) and (R) Alex Box (credit: Elizabeth Hoff)

Talented women cricketers from the West Indies and New Zealand chat to Kim Chakanetsa about how they've gone from playing cricket with the boys as kids to record-breaking achievements with their teams.Merissa Aguilleira is from Trinidad and plays for the West Indies women's side. As well as a six year stint as team captain, Merissa contributed to their success in becoming Twenty20 World Champions in 2016. Her achievements seem all the more impressive when you realise that she only started playing 'real' cricket at 16, and initially her instinct was to run away from the hard ball! She talks about the importance of breaking down stereotypes by being unafraid to boast about women's achievements.Sophie Devine is Vice Captain of the White Ferns, New Zealand's women's team. She also plays in the Australian Women's Big Bash League, and says the popularity of women's cricket there is going through the roof. As a Type 1 diabetic, Sophie says her condition has never been a barrier to sporting success, and she truly believes in the power of sport to change lives.(L) Sophie Devine (credit: Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images) and (R) Merissa Aguilleira (WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography)

Women who make wine in Argentina and Italy talk to Kim Chakanetsa about the labour and love that goes into a great glass of wine.Susana Balbo has been making a name for herself in the wine world for over 30 years. She was the first woman in Argentina to graduate with a degree in winemaking, and in 1999 she launched her own label in her hometown, Mendoza. She was also the first woman president of Wines of Argentina, an organisation that promotes the country's wine industry to a global market. Today she produces 3.5 million bottles per year - almost all of which are destined for the export market. She explains how she produces high-quality wines at high altitude, and in a challenging desert climate.Julia Walch is part of a matriarchy of winemakers in the South Tyrol in Northern Italy. Julia grew up on the family estate, but never thought she would enter the wine world herself - that is until she went away to study, and felt the pull of the vineyard. Aged just 26, she took over the Elena Walch company together with her younger sister. Each year they make about 550,000 bottles of wine. Julia says her mother is still on hand for advice, though she's grateful that she's been given free reign to pursue her own ideas.Image: (L) Susana Balbo (no credit) and (R) Julia Walch (credit: Florian Jaenicke)

Female stars of YouTube in India and the US swap tips for success with Kim Chakanetsa.Shruti Arjun Anand was a 'computer geek' who developed a passion for make-up and beauty, and decided to vlog about it for an Indian audience. She is now a top online video star in her country, and one of her most popular videos is how to make a pimple disappear overnight. Shruti's personal life features too - she kept a pregnancy vlog and also discusses topics like how to deal with the pressure on Indian women to have a baby in the first place.Evelyn Ngugi is Kenyan-American and vlogs from Texas under the alias 'Evelyn from the Internets'. She started out talking about natural hair and has expanded into funny monologues and interviews about race, gender and culture. 2016 was a very special year because when she posted an enthusiastic review of the album Lemonade, Beyonce spotted it and Evelyn found herself projected onto a big screen during the singer's worldwide tour.Image and credit: (L) Shruti Arjun Ananda. Image and credit:(R) Evelyn Ngugi.

What does it take to run a glossy magazine? Two editors speak to Kim Chakanetsa about celebrities, gossip and the power of true life stories.Betty Irabor launched her magazine, Genevieve, in Lagos 13 years ago, with the aim of inspiring other women to believe in themselves. Her publication is described as Nigeria's leading inspirational and lifestyle magazine. She's even got her daughter involved, first as a teen columnist, now as Assistant Editor. She says that in recent years the website has become more important than the printed edition. But it's still the Lagos elite that set the trends in her fashion pages.Mamen Sanchez Perez is editor of Hola Mexico and deputy editor of Hola Spain, both part of the Hello Magazine family. She shares her memories of her grandparents, who first launched Hola Magazine in Barcelona in the 1940s, with the aim of bringing more respect and integrity to the gossip pages. That family ethos carries through to the present day - and Mamen's grandmother still plays an active role in the business.Image: (L) Betty Irabor and (R) Mamen Sanchez Perez Credit: (L) Genevieve Magazine and (R) no credit

Two women who've escaped forced marriage and now fight for the rights of other victims talk to Maryam Maruf about how they've coped after being ostracised by their families.Most people look forward to their wedding day: not Jasvinder Sanghera. She grew up in a large Sikh family in Derby, UK and was set to marry a much older man. Instead, aged just 16, she ran away from her home. Her family disowned her - and refused her attempts at reconciliation. As a response, Jasvinder went on to found Karma Nirvana, a charity which supports victims of forced marriage and honour-based violence.Fraidy Reiss didn't even have her own bank account when she left an abusive marriage at the age of 32. She'd been brought up in an insular Orthodox Jewish community in New York, and did not feel she had any real choice in who she married. When she left her husband she had to turn her back on her whole life. She set up a new home with her daughters, and decided to help other women from all different religious and cultural backgrounds to escape forced marriage. Her organisation is called Unchained at Last.(L) Image: Fraidy Reiss. Credit: Julie N Samuels. (R) Image: Jasvinder Sanghera. Credit: Karma Nirvana.

Women who have opened up new horizons for tourists, in the sunny western cape of South Africa and the high mountain trails of Nepal. Laura Ndukwana runs popular tours of two townships in Cape Town. She grew up and still lives in Gugulethu township, and believes that tourists should see both sides of this beautiful city, which contains very rich and very poor areas. Her tours involve walking and meeting local people, cooking for school children and attending a traditional gospel service on a Sunday. Laura says she guards against so-called 'poverty tourism' by keeping the groups small, and briefing them carefully to ensure there is respect for local residents. She also says there is a black middle-class in the townships that tourists are often surprised to see.Lucky Chhetri and her two sisters started the first women-only trekking guide business in Pokhara, Nepal. Initially they ran all the treks themselves but have now gone on to train over 1,000 local women to be guides. They have faced many challenges as outdoor work is not traditionally seen as suitable for women - and male competitors would have gladly seen them go out of business. However they have gone from strength to strength and Lucky still enjoys leading treks herself. She says a good guide understands their client and how to make a trip fun and memorable for them. Kim Chakanetsa asks Lucky and Laura how they started out, what they have learned and what they enjoy most about their work.(Photo: Tour guides Lucky Chhetri (L) and Laura Ndukwana (R) courtesy of Lucky and Laura)