(updated updated May 2025) Getting out the message about a new book mostly means podcasts, I've found. That's great because you can do the recording from your home, and also podcast hosts are generally very lively and so the level of energy is high. So here is a short list of the ones I've done… Continue reading Talking about the book
Tag: women
Judging a book by its cover
(updated April 2025) You shouldn't do that, right? But we do, otherwise we wouldn't need to be warned not to... If you are writing a book, you will at some time have to make a decision about the cover. Having only previously published academic books, my foray into the world of trade books has given… Continue reading Judging a book by its cover
‘Trade’ books and ‘academic’ books – what’s that about?
I've been getting excited recently about the final stage before publication of my next book, Immaculate Forms, a history of women's bodies told through four parts: breasts, clitoris, hymen, womb. It's easy to remember the order of the chapters because it's alphabetical, but that wasn't why I did it this way: instead, I am going… Continue reading ‘Trade’ books and ‘academic’ books – what’s that about?
Constipation in History
Faeces are big news: every few months another story appears pointing to the potential benefits of faecal transplants in a range of bowel conditions. The internet includes DIY advice along with suggestions of banking our own poo so that we can reboot our digestive system from it if anything goes wrong. Examining the patient’s bodily products,… Continue reading Constipation in History
Four weird ideas people used to have about women’s periods
What did menstrual bleeding mean to the people of the past? And what expectations did that raise?
Mistaking histories 