# Let It Go: My Extraordinary Story

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/books/let-it-go/
- Published: 2019-04-05T07:54:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**From Refugee to Entrepreneur to Philanthropist**.

**A moving memoir from a woman who made a fortune in a man’s world and then gave
it all away… soon to be turned into a film**

In 1962, Stephanie ‘Steve’ Shirley created a software company when the concept of
software barely existed. Freelance Programmers employed women to work on complex
projects such as Concorde’s black box recorder from the comfort of their own home.

Shirley empowered a generation of women in technology, giving them unheard of freedom
to choose their own hours and manage their own workloads. The business thrived and
Shirley gradually transferred ownership to her staff, creating 70 millionaires in
the process.

_Let It Go_ explores Shirley’s trail blazing career as an entrepreneur but it also
charts her incredible personal story – her dramatic arrival in England as an unaccompanied
Kindertransport refugee during World War Two and the tragic loss of her only child
who suffered severely from Autism.

Today, Dame Stephanie Shirley is one of Britain’s leading philanthropists, devoting
most of her time, energy and wealth to charities that are close to her heart. In
_Let It Go,_ Shirley tells her inspirational story and explains why giving her wealth
away – letting it go – has brought her infinitely more happiness and fulfilment 
than acquiring it in the first place.

![Let it Go, by Dame Stephanie Shirley (promo)](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/
2022/01/let-it-go-stephanie-shirley-promo.jpg)

Co-written with **Richard Askwith,** the former Executive Editor of _The Independent_
and the award-winning author of seven books in his own name, including biographies
of Emil Zátopek and Lata Brandisová.

Reviews

“An extraordinary tale of creativity and resilience”
**Guardian**

“An inspiring memoir by a great entrepreneur who charted her life to do well while
doing good”.
**Ronald Cohen** ― Chair of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment

“Steve Shirley’s autobiography is nothing short of inspiring. She is a role model
for young women worldwide in her spirit, determinism, humour, and generosity”.
**
Simon Baron-Cohen** ― Professor at Cambridge University