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Danielle was born with a cleft lip and palate and knows what it is like to be different in a world focused on appearance.

She has experienced first-hand the effect of looks on everyday life. For her, the mental effects of 28 operations have required a much higher resilience than the sheer physical endurance. She has had to cope with missing a lot of school and the challenge of keeping friendships, struggling to find a sense of identity as her face constantly changed through surgery.

Now Danielle hopes her first-hand experience will help others. A researcher at the University of the West of England (UWE), she is studying the psychology of those affected by craniofacial conditions.

New Storytellers presents the work of new radio and audio producers, and this series features all five winners of this year’s prize for Best Student Radio Feature. The award is presented every year in memory of pioneering radio producer Charles Parker, who produced the famous series of Radio Ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger.

This was the first feature made by producer Isobel Howe - an MA student studying audio journalism at UWE. The judges praised the piece as ‘a beautifully told personal story’ which was ‘completely absorbing’, saying ‘Danielle, the subject and principal speaker, is articulate, funny and open’ with ’some visceral and moving moments’.

Producer: Isobel Howe
A Soundscape production for Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4