Princess Izzy

Born in Denmark to a Danish mother and a Spanish father, raised in Italy, Turkey, Poland, Iraq and Indonesia and now living in Spain, Isabel Lavender is nonetheless wholly dedicated to the English language.

Educated at Aalborg University where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Business Economy and Personnel Management, Isabel's CV makes for fascinating reading: she has been a Miss Denmark finalist, model, fitness instructor, TV presenter and businesswoman, to name but a few of her many roles.

Now a poet and lyricist, Isabel has chosen to focus her talent on writing intelligent lyrics for adult contemporary pop songs and has already achieved a great deal of success. Earlier this year Isabel submitted eight lyrics to The UK Songwriting Contest; seven were accepted as semi-final contenders and one (Tallulah) was a finalist in the Lyrics Only category.

Isabel's success in the UK Songwriting Contest follows on from her strong showing last year in America's Song of the Year competition. This contest takes place every month, with the winning entries competing for the Song of the Year title at the end of the year. During 2008 Isabel was a runner-up in November and December and a finalist in October with her lyric, Like Mona Lisa In A Mirror.

Lyric writing means not knowing when inspiration will strike - and when it does it helps to have a pen and some paper close to hand. Isabel always has to think ahead. "I keep Post-it notes in the car so that if I have an idea I can start writing straight away."

It's possible that Isabel's creative inclinations are linked to her exotic ancestry. While researching her family tree she discovered that her family name - Bersabé - links her to Princess Maryam of the Nasri Dynasty via her ancestor, Ozman Bersabé, who married Maryam in the fifteenth century.