Gabriella Leigh

A freelance journalist and editor-at-large for a nationally recognized food and travel publication, Gabriella Leigh is a contributor to many publications. Her strengths lie in weaving compelling stories and she feels fortunate to have a career that lets her document the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world. “Other times though,” says Leigh, “I’m nothing more than an observer too locked inside my own head to make sense out of anything, or anyone. But I also write fiction and sometimes, I wish my own story was just that—fiction.” Leigh says she first learned of her gift for storytelling in high school. “I suffered through my studies, an average student but fortunate to be smart enough to sufficiently pass tests without ever opening a book at home … the exceptions being classical fiction. I read, in their entirety, every single book that was required reading for my A.P. English class. And it was then that I flourished. Plodding my way through the likes of Steinbeck, Dickens and Bronte. It’s when I fell in love with Conrad and Flaubert. Where I became enthralled with Homer and Tolstoy. Where I learned I didn’t care for Hemingway or Bradbury. Where I learned I could adore Fitzgerald’s Gatsby and a few weeks later be bored stiff by his short stories. And, it’s where I learned I could string together words that took people down the road I wished them to go. Words that made them understand exactly what it was I intended—be it truth, or not.” Throughout the years, Leigh has penned feature articles, covered major events, and investigated hard-news stories for local, regional and national organizations, but she insists that she does not have a particular beat the way some reporters do. But she doesn’t really consider herself a reporter either. “Sure, I interview sources and write articles for news organizations and magazines alike, but most of what I do is more friendly than what you see on the front page … I write the ‘fluff’.” Although her memoir, In the Presence of Monsters: the story of a fat girl who wasn’t, is far from fluffy. An emotionally woven tale of how her "monsters" manifested into what she calls a "manageable" eating disorder, In the Presence of Monsters depicts her struggles as both whimsical and tragic. Throughout the book there are moments of humor, of glory and those of utter failure. Laced with journal outtakes and recent reflection, it’s a story people will resonate with and find comfort in knowing they’re not the only one who harbors absurd thoughts about their body and their place in this world. In order to safeguard others and separate her public profile, for the time being, the author writes under the pseudonym of Gabriella Leigh. Feel free to contact her with any thoughts or questions. TheGabriella.Leigh@gmail.com | @TheBellaLeigh