“SCIENCE has given us something amazing but it’s not how I imagined starting my own family.” Jessica Hepburn is only too aware the route to motherhood is not always simple. She shares her heartbreaking journey at Fertility Fest, her inaugural event at Park Theatre this Saturday to highlight what to many is a taboo subject.

The former chief executive of Lyric Hammersmith theatre has been trying to become a mother for a decade but has not given up, even after spending thousands on IVF, which has led to several miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy which nearly killed her.

After writing the bestselling book, The Pursuit of Motherhood and swimming the British Channel, she now wants to raise awareness of infertility, IVF and alternative paths to parenthood with a day of discussion and debate about making (and not making) babies in the modern way.

More than 20 of the country’s leading writers, visual artists, theatre-makers, film directors and composers will come together for the event including Liverpool Art Prize-winner Tabitha Moses, poet Julia Copus and Professor Geeta Nargund, who is the medical director at CREATE Fertility.

Jessica explains why the stigma around openly discussing issues with fertility and IVF needs to disappear, as it is a subject affecting one in six couples in the UK.

She says: “We have an issue at the moment of women in their 20s and 30s who are not settling down and leaving it too late to think about having children.”

She adds the issue also needs to be out in the open so that couples facing the emotional impact of infertility and failed IVF know they are not alone.

Jessica says: “It is emotionally devastating, as everyone is getting married and trying to have babies and you want that too but it is being denied you and you are not in control of your nature, so you start spending huge amounts of money for treatment.

“When you come out the other side, you’re so grateful you have this miracle baby but you’re scarred by what has happened and terrified it will still go wrong and I think that does affect you.”

She explains the experiences make it difficult to keep relationships alive afterwards.

She says: “You’re not having sex anymore as it is not romantic and becomes a mechanical chore instead, as it’s all about being at the right temperature and having the correct amount of mucus. You are separated throughout the treatment.”

At 34-years-old, Jessica starting trying to conceive, as she thought it was the perfect age. She had met the “perfect” man, a marketing executive called Peter and was at the top of her profession.

After a year of trying, she went to a fertility clinic for tests and was diagnosed with unexplained infertility, which meant doctors had no idea why it wasn’t working.

She says: “I do seem to be able to get pregnant but I lose the baby very early on.

“I still haven’t had a baby and given my age, a biological baby is unlikely now. I absolutely feel there are other ways to become a mother but I am not yet exploring that, such as adoption, fostering or egg donation.

“The thing I really wanted was to have a baby with the man I loved but it hasn’t been possible and that has been really sad.”

She dealt with the experience by sharing her story, which included writing a novel.

She says: “I was so private about what I was going through for so long and it was such a big decision to open up publicly, but publishing the book was really healing and so many people said thank you for being brave enough. You feel so lonely on this journey and knowing you are not alone is so helpful. All it takes is one person to speak out to change lives.”

The festival will finish with a performance of The Quiet House at the Park Theatre, which tells the tale of a couple who turn to science in order to start their much desired family.

The writer Gareth Farr was inspired by his own experiences of IVF and Jessica believes it is important to remember men are affected deeply by infertility too.

She says: “Men are often on the sidelines and it is really hard for them on an emotional perspective too, as they are watching their partner go through the tests. It is already a taboo subject but the male voice is even more silent.”

After the Fest, she plans to release another book on motherhood next year, although the next one will focus on a different aspect of being a parent.

She says: “The book will sort of be a sequel around the same subject but will instead explore whether motherhood makes you happy. It is based on all the inspirational women I’ve met over the past year who have shared their stories with me.

“I also want to take on big challenges around this subject to raise awareness and money to inspire other people. This has definitely become my vocation, at least for the next few years.”

Fertility Fest, Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, Saturday, June 11, 9.30am. Details: 020 7870 6876