#78 A Slow Sunday Scroll ☕️
postcard from Tuscany 🇮🇹
This post might be too long for email—if it cuts off, you can open it in the app or on the web.
I’m writing to you from Villa Lena—a lovely hidden gem and artist residence in the Tuscan countryside (with excellent views, even from the bathroom). I’m spending a few days relaxing and enjoying the Italian way of life: drinking macchiatos, going for walks, eating cacio e pepe, savouring pecorino romano at every opportunity, spotting local sleeping cats, indulging in gelato, pici pasta, an afternoon Nutellotti treat, and just in general soaking in the slower pace. I launched my new novel Table For One a couple of weeks ago, and so I planned this trip to settle my nervous system before my book tour begins next week :)
Two London events this week:
May 13th: Second Home in Spitalfields with
(Tickets here)May 14th: Fleet Street Literary Festival (Tickets here)
Before arriving here, I hosted a creativity retreat for five nights (an hour’s drive away from Villa Lena) at a magical place called Ebbio. It is even better in real life than the pictures. A restored thirteenth century farm run by a mother and a daughter, lovingly cared for over thirty years. Staying there you are welcomed into their home, land and organic farm with love—you are surrounded by a bright green evergreen forest, nestled in the heart of an old volcano.
I first posted about hosting a retreat in Italy a year ago alongside experiential travel company Aweventurer—so it felt surreal watching it all unfold. It was actually happening! Ten wonderful women from all over the world (the U.S! London! Portugal! Manchester!) joined me around a long outdoor table in the blazing sunshine with flowers and foliage hanging from the pergola and gorgeous views surrounding us. (I believe most guests signed up via this Substack!) I felt like I was inside a postcard. There were creativity workshops, painting sessions, creative prompts, wild swimming, tarot sessions, book recommendations, deep discussions and delicious food. An impromptu ‘hip-opening’ yoga exercise changed me. An energy healing session. A large Bernese Mountain Dog that needed lots of love. An evening of tarot readings. I basically designed the retreat that I would love to attend.
(One of my favourite writers
uses the word ‘alchemy’ a lot in her work, and I thought of her. It all felt like creative alchemy—turning simple moments into something unforgettable. I didn’t feel the need to manage the vibe, the vibe unfolded by itself.)On the last day of the retreat, I stood in the middle of my room and cried. A guest had left a copy of a book outside my room, on the floor, with a handwritten note inside (and the date: May 4th 2025). The book was A Walk On The Beach: Tales of Wisdom From An Unconventional Woman by Joan Anderson. We’d been discussing Table For One and our shared longing for both a relationship and freedom. Can you have both? Can you be madly in love, and have deep regular solitude, for example? I believe you can.
The act of leaving a beloved book for someone else with a personal note felt really special, and a bond had formed. The build-up of magic during the week was swirling and settling in my chest: the gratitude, the thriving olive trees outside my window and the Limoncello shared among strangers-turned-friends under the moonlight the night before, cackling like good witches. The reality was dawning on me: that retreats aren’t real life, but the time we spent together was real.
I love stories of women who do things differently. Unconventional Women. I don’t feel overly “unconventional” in the way I move through the world—after all, there are many ways in which I followed society’s rulebook. But being almost 36 in Italy with pretty much no major responsibilities felt rebellious somehow. No kids, no 9-5, no real 24/7 domestic responsibilities. I am married and yet I enjoy many a solo adventure and a table for one. I am flexible and freelance and free.
In my twenties I felt like I had to push back on what people expected of me—in my thirties I get to just live it out. It’s a relief. I no longer think anything is wrong with my choices, I just feel sorry for the 20-something me who thought she had to prove herself until her brain broke. This spacious retreat reminded me that I don’t have to do that anymore.
Sending love XOXO
“As much as writing, dancing, painting, and music-making, I believe that cultivating community is a creative act.” - Suleika Jaouad
Exciting news U.S readers! Table For One found an American publisher! The novel is launching stateside on September 30 (Barnes & Noble are currently running a big sale apparently so good time to pre-order). I’m currently planning some U.S based events. More soon!
Come and join me at multiple events across the UK: London, Bude, Bath, Margate, Hebden, Edinburgh, Henley…
Slow Sunday Scroll Picks
For anyone new to The Hyphen newsletter: this is my ~Slow Sunday Scroll round-up~. This is a twice-monthly list of my favourite books, links, podcasts, things I’ve bought, all handpicked by me — which thousands of paid subscribers enjoy reading every other week ✨ It’s one of my most popular features and I’ve been doing a version of these lists since 2015!
Here are lots of juicy links to read. This part of the newsletter is below the paywall as it takes me hours to compile…