Vicky Allan – författare

Every menopause has its own story. It''s time we told them . . .The menopause. What even is it? One big theme unites Still Hot!''s 42 stories - that, somehow, the world doesn''t ready us for this. The menopause - let alone the perimenopause - simply isn''t talked about; instead, it''s reduced to a comic hot flush. More and more of us are proudly stepping free of the menopausal closet, but the Big M is still a conversation whispered below the radar. No one tells you it will be like this. No one prepares you for it.That silence is lifting, slowly. So let''s be bold, let''s overshare. Let''s find solidarity among Still Hot!''s myriad voices - wise, rebellious, measured, fierce, upfront - telling how the menopause is not just one story, but many. Telling, in fact, that this is not the menopause, it is YOUR menopause.FEATURINGSahira Ahmad Belcher Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Shalini Bhalla-Lucas Sharon Blackie Erica Clarkson Marie Louise Cochrane Bunny Cook Tracey Cox Jody Day Paulette Edwards Felicity Everett Helen FitzGerald India Gary-Martin Tania Glyde Julie Graham Angie Greaves Shahzadi Harper Michelle Heaton Yvonne John Lorraine Kelly Jane Lewis Pinky Lilani Andrea Macfarlane Danusia Malina-Derben Nimmy March Alison Martin-Campbell Pippa Marriott Val McDermid Sharmila Mehta Louise Minchin Louise Newson Susie Orbach Penny Pepper Miranda Sawyer Carol Smillie Anthea Turner Melissa Wall Kirsty Wark Sayeeda Warsi Denise Welch Trinny Woodall Xinran Xue"There''s a menopause club. Once you''ve been through it, you go, That''s it, I can do anything now." KIRSTY WARK"Once we stop bleeding, once we stop having children, once we go through the menopause, it''s not over. In fact, it can be a very empowering time." JULIE GRAHAM"We mustn''t be scared of the menopause . . . I always say, Don''t suffer in silence. Get help. There is help out there. There is understanding." LORRAINE KELLY"Many women, when they go through menopause, happen to be going through things in their life anyway. You wonder, does one galvanise the other?" TRINNY WOODALL"There is no one-size-fits-all for menopause." DENISE WELCH"It''s not THE menopause. It''s YOUR menopause." KAYE ADAMS

Every menopause has its own story. It's time we told them . . .The menopause. What even is it? One big theme unites Still Hot!'s 42 stories - that, somehow, the world doesn't ready us for this. The menopause - let alone the perimenopause - simply isn't talked about; instead, it's reduced to a comic hot flush. More and more of us are proudly stepping free of the menopausal closet, but the Big M is still a conversation whispered below the radar. No one tells you it will be like this. No one prepares you for it.That silence is lifting, slowly. So let's be bold, let's overshare. Let's find solidarity among Still Hot!'s myriad voices - wise, rebellious, measured, fierce, upfront - telling how the menopause is not just one story, but many. Telling, in fact, that this is not the menopause, it is YOUR menopause.FEATURINGSahira Ahmad Belcher Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Shalini Bhalla-Lucas Sharon Blackie Erica Clarkson Marie Louise Cochrane Bunny Cook Tracey Cox Jody Day Paulette Edwards Felicity Everett Helen FitzGerald India Gary-Martin Tania Glyde Julie Graham Angie Greaves Shahzadi Harper Michelle Heaton Yvonne John Lorraine Kelly Jane Lewis Pinky Lilani Andrea Macfarlane Danusia Malina-Derben Nimmy March Alison Martin-Campbell Pippa Marriott Val McDermid Sharmila Mehta Louise Minchin Louise Newson Susie Orbach Penny Pepper Miranda Sawyer Carol Smillie Anthea Turner Melissa Wall Kirsty Wark Sayeeda Warsi Denise Welch Trinny Woodall Xinran Xue"There's a menopause club. Once you've been through it, you go, That's it, I can do anything now." KIRSTY WARK"Once we stop bleeding, once we stop having children, once we go through the menopause, it's not over. In fact, it can be a very empowering time." JULIE GRAHAM"We mustn't be scared of the menopause . . . I always say, Don't suffer in silence. Get help. There is help out there. There is understanding." LORRAINE KELLY"Many women, when they go through menopause, happen to be going through things in their life anyway. You wonder, does one galvanise the other?" TRINNY WOODALL"There is no one-size-fits-all for menopause." DENISE WELCH"It's not THE menopause. It's YOUR menopause." KAYE ADAMS

What makes the perfect swim?It's all about the most magical locations (and how to protect them), finessing your kitbag, keeping yourself and others safe . . . and maybe discovering a nice place for a warm-up cuppa and cake.Whether you're a seasoned dipper or a fledgling, The Art of Wild Swimming is the ultimate guide to becoming an awesome, joyful and responsible swimmer.From the otherworldly fens of the east to the vast dramatic waters of the Lake District, the thundering icy waterfalls of Snowdonia to the secluded sandy coves of Cornwall. Locals who know the secrets of their patch share over 100 spectacular swim spots across England and Wales. Now they are yours to explore too.

What makes the perfect swim?It's all about the most magical locations (and how to protect them), finessing your kitbag, keeping yourself and others safe ... and maybe discovering a nice place for a warm-up cuppa and cake.Whether you're a seasoned dipper or a fledgling, The Art of Wild Swimming is the ultimate guide to becoming an awesome, joyful and responsible swimmer.From the dramatic turquoise bays of Orkney to the peaty lochs of the Cairngorms, the thundering waterfalls of Skye to the calm depths of a reservoir in the Pentlands. Locals who know the secrets of their patch share over 100 spectacular dookin' spots across Scotland. Now they are yours to explore too.

'Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of wild swimming - you won't regret it.'DR RANGAN CHATTERJEEEach of us is just a drop. But together we create ripples.Wild swimming isn't just an activity. It has been a movement, a wave that has surged in popularity across Britain, rippling out and spreading joy. And at the centre of it all are the groups and communities that gather at the water's edge... to dip together, scream together, laugh together, and share stories and support.From menopausal mermaids to student dippers, male mental health groups to Wim Hof enthusiasts, addiction recovery communities to skinny dippers, The Ripple Effect dives into what makes these groups tick and why so many people say it's not just about the water but the marvellous pods of people they find themselves swimming with.

EACH OF US IS JUST A DROP.BUT TOGETHER WE CREATE RIPPLES.The Menopausal Mermaids, Blueballs, Viking Dippers, Cold Water Tingz, the Ripple Effect . . . These are just some of the names of Ireland's wild swimming groups and they all have a story to tell.Wild swimming is a movement, a wave that has surged around the shorelines of the island of Ireland - and it's not just about the activity, but about doing it together . . .Swimming Wild Ireland dives into what makes these communities tick, on a journey that reveals why so many people say it's not only about the water but also about the companionship of swim friends and the joy of finding your tribe.

Immerse yourself in an ocean of great literature. Gasp at the cold with Amy Liptrot. Be transfixed by Iris Murdoch's monster rising from the waves. Learn how to swim like the frogs with John Muir. Come on, dive in.A selection of joyful, immersive and life-affirming writing about wild swimming. From gentle dips in calm waters to fights for survival in stormy seas. From the erotic charge of a streamlined body to moments of revelation amidst the waves . . . Take Me to the River is an anthology not just of wild swimming writing, but of stories of how a jump into deep waters can change us.Open water swimming plays a pivotal role in many great narratives, taking us on an immersive journey, from Homer's Odyssey to contemporary poetry and memoirs. There is adventure here and aquatic playfulness. Grief and anguish, too; heartbreaks displaced and healed by watery spaces. Love and desire spark between characters at the edge of the water, as does freedom from constraint and the glorious energy of possibility and hope.Take Me to the River entices with a dip into the deep sea of words. Slide in.

Immerse yourself in an ocean of great literature. Gasp at the cold with Amy Liptrot. Be transfixed by Iris Murdoch's monster rising from the waves. Learn how to swim like the frogs with John Muir. Come on, dive in.A selection of joyful, immersive and life-affirming writing about wild swimming. From gentle dips in calm waters to fights for survival in stormy seas. From the erotic charge of a streamlined body to moments of revelation amidst the waves . . . Take Me to the River is an anthology not just of wild swimming writing, but of stories of how a jump into deep waters can change us.Open water swimming plays a pivotal role in many great narratives, taking us on an immersive journey, from Homer's Odyssey to contemporary poetry and memoirs. There is adventure here and aquatic playfulness. Grief and anguish, too; heartbreaks displaced and healed by watery spaces. Love and desire spark between characters at the edge of the water, as does freedom from constraint and the glorious energy of possibility and hope.Take Me to the River entices with a dip into the deep sea of words. Slide in.

What would you do if you had to choose between your man and your cat?’If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?’ Milla asks her bestfriend Gabriel.Milla would be a cat and Gabriel a bird. That’s no surprise, as Milla is a cat therapist. Gabriel is also in love with her. Unaware of this, Milla begins an affair with Josh, a dentist. All goes well until Milla adopts a stray cat, a spooky albino who starts to drive a wedge between her and Josh. When Milla finds she must choose between her man and her cat, the choice she makes has horrifying consequences. For the stray is no ordinary domestic pet, and Milla, it turns out, is no ordinary woman.Inexorably the disturbed workings of Milla’s mind draws her into a strange world. Girl-meets-boy domesticity is replaced by the cold drip of animal fear. The unbelievable becomes reality. And the shocking, horrifying conclusion is the only escape.

'Dip into this beautiful book, and understand the healing nature of wild swimming before you have even taken that first plunge'MIRANDA HART'This book is a joy!'JO WHILEY, BBC Radio 2'Wow! What a book. This is an emotional description of what we wild swimmers know and love. So familiar are the stories that I feel I know them all personally; if I haven't uttered the words myself, I have probably thought them often. Lived it, loved it. Fabulous.'BETH FRENCH, marathon swimmer and inspirational speakerWild swimming changes lives. The thrill of plunging - or dipping a toe - into open water brings joy, confidence, adventure and friendship. It can wash away stress and sadness, pain and grief. Here water is a great healer, a place to feel gloriously, elementally alive and in touch with yourself, with others and with nature.Full of life-affirming personal stories and breath-taking images of scenery and swimmers, Taking the Plunge celebrates the remarkable wild swimming community. Now you too can immerse yourself in its energy, courage and irresistible joie de vivre!With practical advice on how wild swimming works and how to get started - from what you'll need (cossie and a smile!) to where best to go (rivers, oceans, lochs, lakes . . .) - there s never been a better time to take the plunge.

Beech, birch, ash, sycamore, oak. Maple, mango, hawthorn, cherry. Scots pine and Japanese cedar . . . The company of trees is different from that of any other living thing.This is a story of the humans who love trees.From tree sitters to nature lawyers, from climbers to climate strikers, from planters to pruners, from forest therapists to trauma survivors, from city gardeners to rewilders. These are voices of passion, sorrow, anger, nurture, solace and wonder.Trees are our past and our present – our future, too. FOR THE LOVE OF TREES is about why trees matter and what we owe them. It’s about our humanity, our devotion and our sheer awe.