A big thank you to Emma Corbett for taking the time to answer some questions about her book The Stripper Next Door.

-What’s the book about?
The book is about my journey from shy high school nerd to Internationally renown stripper, Miss Nude Australia, Australian Pole Champion and entrepreneur… And back again to quiet reserved nerd. It’s a bit like ‘The Hobbit’ in the sense that it goes ‘There and Back Again’.

-What prompted you to write it?
I wanted to provide an alternate narrative of the stripping and pole dance industries to the one usually portrayed in the mainstream media, sometimes people subscribe to a common view, rather than relying on their own personal experience. The Stripper Next Door aims to give people an honest (and sometimes humorous) insight into what it’s really like to work as an exotic dancer and competitive pole dancer.

-What are your go to songs that put you in a positive headspace?
At the moment my anthem is ‘This is Me’ from The Greatest Showman soundtrack.

-What is the one thing that everybody needs to know about pole dancing?
Not all pole dancers are strippers and not all strippers are pole dancers.

-In the book you talk about your definition of feminism as being a woman’s ability to do it all without being criticized. What are your thoughts on the announcement by Formula one, that they are no longer using ‘grid girls’?
I have never worked as a Grid Girl, or with Grid Girls… so I am in no position to comment. The message of my book is very much not judging others, or passing comment on what they do, without having any first-hand experience of it.

-I have to ask this (because I review a lot of movies) what is your favorite movie?
Labyrinth, Tank Girl… and I really do love The Greatest Showman – it’s a musical about circus! Two of my favourite things.