I’ve grown up watching Strictly Come Dancing with my mam pretty much as long as I can remember, so I was really excited to hear that Janette Manrara - a staple of the show since 2013 - was coming to along to The Bound in Whitley Bay to talk about her new book. (If you’re unfamiliar with The Bound, it’s a beautiful little bookshop part of the same family as Forum Books.)

Janette has always come across as such a warm and grounded personality to me, so I was interested to hear her speak in a more intimate setting - away from the lights,cameras and sequins. When I heard that she was bringing out a book, I assumed it would be an autobiography, but ‘Tiny Dancer, Big World’ is much more than that (plus, Janette shared that she has far more she wants to achieve in life before she’s ready to write an autobiography.) An uplifting blend of advice, inspiration and life lessons, it’s a deep dive into self love, wellness and ambition divided into four pillars: Acceptance, Reflection, The Work and Discovery.

The more she spoke, it became clear that if there’s anyone you should life advice from, it’s Janette. From a story about how her grandparents had to send their children out alone on dangerous boat journey to Miami to flee the Cuban communist government, to how she nearly gave up on dancing after being rejected from American TV show ‘So You Can Think You Can Dance’, Janette painted a vivid picture of a life in which self belief and ambition had to be forged out of adversity. It was really inspiring to be in that room full of women which I feel she connected with on a genuine, personal level. I myself had the chance to ask her a question - “How do you balance being so driven with being kind to yourself?” - and her answer was to embrace failure as a lesson.

Janette’s book is full of little nuggets of wisdom like this, so be sure to pick up a copy. Forum Books regularly host events with a varied programme of fascinating speakers like Janette, so take a look at what they’ve got coming up while you’re at it.

Leanna Thomson