Hello! If you’re new to The Hyphen (or new to Substack in general)—welcome! I’m sending out a welcome email, as I’ve just hit 70,000 subscribers here..
I moved my newsletter over to Substack three years ago (there wasn’t even an app) but I’ve been writing a newsletter of some kind for almost ten years—but recently it’s sort of being ‘popping off’ as the kids would say. So: thanks for finding me and my little corner of the Internet and pressing ‘subscribe’!
The Times recently said I was “something of a pioneer” with my former podcast and now on Substack. That’s nice to read! But I simply came here because I longed for a calmer place to write, connect, share tips, advice, around writing, creativity and wellbeing. That’s what I’ve always written about since I was in my twenties. How can we feel less trapped by all these systems? How can we be more creative? How can we feel saner? How can we work in a way that allows us to use our talents and unique traits, rather than adhere to a system that forces us to just conform all the time?
Now I see so many thought-leaders I admire popping up on Substack. Rick Rubin. Malcolm Gladwell. David Sedaris. Not all of them are publishing posts, but I can see that they are reading Substacks. As
recently said: “Substack has become the weekend papers.”I’d love for you to join the fold and access all my posts on The Hyphen. I decided early on that I’d only really write for my paid subscribers.
If you sign up, you’ll get:
— book recommendations from me, a current Women’s Prize judge!
— a warm and welcoming community of readers/writers
— new writing, continuing on from my popular non-fiction books
— wellbeing tips + solo travel spots
— thoughts about writing, both non-fiction and fiction
— first to know about any creativity retreats I’m offering or book events
— my Sunday Scroll round-up: every other weekend, I share a list of brilliant links and things are inspiring me and making my life better.
If you’d like to join, I’m offering you a 50% off discount code for the next few hours.
All this to say: if you’re interested in change, creativity and culture — come and join The Hyphen.
I also have deeper motives that keep me showing up every single week. I want writers and artists to be valued. I’ve watched talented writers receive crumbs (for decades) from big corporations and be treated badly by finance departments. I’m just getting started on this topic and I won’t stop standing up for writers. Bring on 2025.
If you’d like to join The Hyphen community and read everything behind the paywall, sign up today via the button. And come and introduce yourself here!
Ps. Below are links to a few pieces in case you’d like a taster of my work or previous writing:
— this piece on living a child-free life for The Guardian
— this piece on solo travel for Condé Nast Traveller
— you can listen to me on many podcasts, including this one with the brilliant Kate Bowler, or on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place and Changes with Annie MacManus
— this recent press by Porter magazine selecting me as part of their incredible creative women series
— I’m currently a 2025 judge for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction
— I also hosted a podcast for six years called Ctrl Alt Delete. You can access 400+ free episodes here.
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