Former Miss Universe Margaret Gardiner launches her first fiction book, 'Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar'

Margaret Gardiner was only 18 years old when she became the first Miss Universe from South Africa in 1978. And it took 39 years before Demi-Leigh Nel Peters Tebow followed and became the second Miss Universe from the country when she won in 2017.

Unknown to many, Gardiner is also a journalist and an author. She has written two books on health and beauty and for the first time, has written her first fiction book, "Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar."

A psychology degree holder with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, Gardiner was inspired to write her first fiction book "for women who have been talked over, made to feel less or have been falsely framed." She plans to make it the first in a series of books of "good girls who play nice, find their voices, and break barriers to be who they really are."

We were able to interview Gardiner by email and she talked more about her inspiration for her first fiction book, what she hopes readers will learn from her book, what she learned from her journey in writing the book, among others.

This is your third book and your first work of fiction. What made you decide to do fiction this time? What was the inspiration for this book? What were the two other books before this about?

My first two books were about the health and beauty industry. "Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar" came to me during COVID-19.

I had a friend who was struggling with mental health and considered self-damaging. I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and advocated outreach to get help, but her family was against any psychological exploration.

It made me think about how many people in the modeling and movie industry deal with mental health issues because of the pressures of being judged, framed as too old, too big, objectified, etc. I set the book in the field of modeling during the 1980s before the #MeToo movement.

What do you hope your readers will learn or get from your book, "Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar"? What did you learn from writing this book?

I was reminded how important it is to me that people get treated fairly.

Women especially don't feel safe sharing when boundaries are crossed. I hope that the things that Joey encounters, the way she self-damages and her fight to get clean and center will provoke conversations. Especially for women.

Women supporting women is one of the most powerful connections society has. When you feel alone and overwhelmed, we need to know that there are hotlines available to help you. These important topics are set against a backdrop of premieres, party and the powerful at play.

You have been busy promoting the book around the world. Can you please tell us what places you have promoted it already and where else do you plan to go? How has the reception been so far?

I only did the pre-launch a week ago in South Africa - the reception has been wonderful. The character is challenging, yet people fall in love with her. She does wild things in wild settings, but she has a good heart and a broken one. People initially don't like her but by the end, they are asking about what happens to her in the book in the series.

I will also promote it in the USA and UK. The book will be released in February 2025.

It has been 46 years since you were crowned as the first Miss Universe from South Africa. Can you please reminisce on that moment when you were crowned by the first Black winner of Miss Universe and when you broke barriers as well?

It meant so much to me. It represented optimism and change. Janelle and I became friends, though I've not seen her for a while as she doesn't live in the USA.

I was due to model in Italy when it was announced that the first multi-racial pageant would happen in South Africa. I was already established, so they asked if I would consider promoting it. I postponed my work in Italy and entered. It was a very small contest. Three days. Not televised. I won. So, I called and postponed my trip to Italy so I could enter Miss Universe. Then I won that and had to call Italy and say, "Sorry, I won't be coming at all."

Becoming Miss Universe was a huge honor. I was only 18. It gave me a chance to encourage women to raise their voices and to demonstrate that beauty is about what's on the inside.

That I'm still included in the Miss Universe community is one of the great joys of my life. I'm so very grateful to the organization.

It took 39 years before Demi-Leigh Nel Peters Tebow became the second Miss Universe from South Africa when she won in 2017. What lessons have you learned from joining the Miss Universe and what advice would you give aspiring contestants?

Everyone is beautiful. If you think being beautiful is all it takes it may be a challenging pageant for you.

Eloquence. Ability to think on your feet. Knowledge of diverse topics. Inclusion. Having a platform. These are as important.

Miss Universe taught me that people are people. Others might try to use differences to divide, but if we connect as humans, we are all the same. It is also very important to me that the winners reflect such diversity.

I am a woman from Africa. I have an African mindset. I look for a connection. Excellence. Hard work. Collaboration.

I look for like-minded people and, in any group, gravitate towards the big hearted. Industrious and successful, yes, but with equality and inclusion as a practice.

May I note that one of my great sadnesses is that I have never had the good fortune to go to the Philippines. You and Ruben (Nepales) are people I value. The Filipino designers are world-class. I find a huge similarity between South Africans and Filipinos and hope to go there one day.

You are receiving the "World Woman Leader in Media" award on September 18 in Greece. Why is this award so special for you?

We often look to leaders as heads of industry or organizations. But women lead everyday in every way. How they lead within the family shapes how society functions for the children we raise to become the leaders of tomorrow.

I also helped to create Women in Entertainment for the Golden Globes that showcase DEI behind the camera. This topic is very important to me. Everyone should have a seat at the table or an opportunity to participate if they want to.

The book launches in 2025 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Would you like to share more details about the launch or the book?

My book "Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar" will be released on February 10th, 2025. It will be available worldwide through Amazon books. It will have an initial release in the USA, followed by South Africa in March and then in April in the UK.

I'm hoping it will make taboo topics and then things that happen to women in the shadows, out into the light where we can heal and find healthy coping tools to prevent being damaged emotionally, psychologically and physically.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News