Helen lederer ‘when i was young, my crushes were rowan atkinson and prince charles’

Set up by our very own columnist Helen Lederer, the Comedy Women in Print Awards champion the voices of women who tackle serious and heartfelt subjects with a generous dose of humour. Here, we talk to three of this year’s shortlisted authors...

TV presenter Steph McGovern, 43, on motherhood and Middlesbrough

Justice-seeker, menopause campaigner, police officer, TV host, mum-of-two and wife of rock royalty – step forward, Penny Lancaster

Brenda Fricker reflects on her first day at school as a little girl who was full of hope and optimism

For Tamsin Greig , a Sally Wainwright drama was a pipe dream. Until, she tells Amy Raphael , she joined a punk band and learned to play bass

Walking into the day room after her weekly Zoom call with her daughter in Canada, Hester was pleased to see Phyllis and Donald there. Good company, both. On the TV an anodyne politician was spouting t