Natalie Hutchison, who won the Barclays Bank Trading Places award for overcoming adversity three years ago, was signing copies of her book, Trading Places, at Waterstone's, in Bury St Edmunds, on Wednesday – where she was joined by Big Issue founder John Bird, one of the Trading Places judges.

The mother-of-three, from Stanton, now runs a hairdressing salon and has set up an organisation to support rape and domestic violence victims, Help to Move On.

But she said writing the book with author Mary Turner Thomson was one of the hardest challenges she had taken on.

"It was a lot harder than I thought it would be," she said."

"My first draft was very matter-of-fact and Mary told me I needed to put my feelings into it – that was very hard.

"There were a lot of things I'd put to the back of my mind, but it's been very therapeutic. I'm over the moon to be launching it now, and I really want to say thank you to the people who were there when times were tough."

Mr Bird, helping to launch the book, said: "Natalie is a joy to know – she's a very special person and her book has got to be read by everyone.

"I would like it to be a rallying point for all the women who are caught – Natalie's told a splendid story and she's an inspiration to all of us."


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