Sandra Hempel
A photograph of the author Sandra Hempel

Sandra Hempel

Award-winning Author, Historian, Consultant, Writing Mentor

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Controlling Women: The Untold Story of Britain's First Female Police Force

The book cover for Controlling Women

Violence against women is out of control. Conviction rates for rape are so low that most survivors think it pointless to report or live to regret it. Vicious trafficking gangs run the sex trade. Women have no confidence in the Metropolitan Police. The year is 1914.

  • "A pacy, probing account of women's long fight to get into the police, full of tangled feuds and fascinating characters."

    Emma Donoghue, author of "Room" and "The Paris Express"

  • "Groundbreaking, extremely readable and expertly researched"

    Kate Vigurs, author of "Mission France, The True History of the Women of SOE"

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Consultancy and mentoring
  • Advisor, commentator, podcaster for TV and radio in the UK, USA and Australia
  • One-to-one mentoring from the first glimmer of an idea to the published book
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Previous Events and Appearances

TV Appearances

  • Mapping Britain, Channel 5, 2023
  • Murder, Mystery and My Family, BBC 1, Two episodes: 2019, 2018
  • Mud Med, Channel 4

Radio Interviews

  • Robert Elms Show, BBC Radio London) June 29, 2025
  • Scott Tong, Boston WBUR National Public Radio, 2022
  • BBC World Service, 2021, 2005
  • Lewis Lapman, Bloomberg Radio Network, 2013

Webinairs

  • Lockdown University, 15 July, 2025