Spotlight on… Alice Bell, Deputy Editor, Rock Paper Shotgun (RPS), ReedPop

What advice would you give to your teenage self?

That boy is almost definitely not worth it … Do not return those sparkly red heels that your 'friends' made you ashamed to have bought … When adults tell you that these are the best years of your life they are lying, because they don't want you to know that nobody can stop grown-ups having cake for breakfast … Things don't really get going until you hit 30, to be honest, but then you also get lower back pain … so, swings and roundabouts. 

What recent book would you recommend and why?

I just recently started reading Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work and am deeply in love with it; her latest, Velvet Was The Night, is a really cool noir crime novel set in 70s Mexico, and Mexican Gothic is one of the best horror novels I think I've read. The Five by Hallie Rubenhold examines the case of Jack the Ripper by ignoring said grim murderer entirely and focusing instead on the women he killed, and will 100% change your preconceptions about those events and that time period. Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters is a funny, emotional and modern exploration of parenthood and womanhood. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell absolutely broke my heart. Janice Hallett's incomparable cosy mystery The Appeal put me back together again. I could go on if you have ten minutes to spare…!

If you could time travel, where would you go?

Hokey answer but I'd like to go back and hang out with my granny, when she was in her prime (which for her was her 60s). She'd probably be yomping around some cliff paths in Cornwall. When she was 17 she wanted to get a job on one of the liners going to North America, but then my mum happened and she never got to visit the States. She told me she wanted me to travel. I think she'd appreciate hearing about places I've been.

What do you like most about your job?

Aside from the team I work with at RPS, who are brilliant, I really like working with writers as an editor. I love seeing people figure out their voice or reach a new milestone with their work. I think being a good editor means caring enough to tell someone when they can be better. Also, there are times when I'm editing a piece and I can see exactly what little thing needs to happen to make it sparkle. Feels like Neo seeing the Matrix when it lines up - but you know, a less cool version of that.

What is the most memorable event you have ever attended, and why?

This is tough. I had a blast at the MCMs in the UK, but probably C2E2 2020, the last event I attended before the pandemic shut everything down (and I haven't been to any since, yet). I remember this because: 1) I had never been to Chicago before. My lasting impression is that it was very cold but also everyone was nice; 2) I got to spend the weekend wandering around talking to attendees and asking them about wrestling. It was cool seeing how many different people came to C2E2, and I took pictures of a bunch of amazing cosplayers and met some great people on the events side of things; 3) I got to go to the AEW Revolution wrestling show, which was amazing, plus after the national anthem some of the crowd started chanting "USA! USA!" and yelling "'Merica!" like it was a movie or something. 

What opportunities do you have to develop your talents at RX?

Me personally, I've had some great opportunities. I've gotten to go to cool events and learn about different types of work. I love learning from the events team. But I'm also a pretty outgoing person. I will poke at someone about something until it happens. I think in 2022 I'm going to try and be the squeaky wheel for other people more.