UGLY is out in paperback today...

I genuinely think it could give you your best summer yet....

The perfect holiday read - and I’m not joking….

This isn’t a hard sell, but I genuinely think if you’ve found my content interesting, or any or my journalism outside of this here substack, you might rather like my book UGLY: Why the world became beauty-obsessed and how to break free.

If you’re unsure if it’s for you, here’s are five things you can expect from it as a bit of a lowdown…

1. It’s honestly an easy read. Despite the big topics I cover -  from the legacy of colonisation, through to patriarchal oppression and ableism - one of the most common pieces of feedback I receive is how people have smashed through it in a weekend. That’s kinda my writing signature; no matter how academic, sciency, historical or bleak the topic, I try to work in moments of brevity to give the reader a break in the journey. So, despite dissecting beauty culture and historical beauty standards, I also hope you’ll find UGLY both educational and entertaining.

2. About that journey; I’m on it too. If you’re worried that it’ll make you feel worse, be confronting, preachy or makes you think about things you’d rather ignore, then fear not. My ethos, my vibe, isn’t about shouting people down, it’s much more about open discussion and thinking points. I’m not here to tell you what’s right and what’s wrong; I’m very much on the journey with the reader, giving you a few things I’ve learned along the way. We all have good days where we like how we look, or we don’t give a sh*t, but we have others where our perceived appearance can ruin an entire day/week/year - and UGLY can help you gently work through those times for yourself, but minus the classic self help talk that hasn’t worked for me, and probably hasn’t worked for you.

Chatting to hundreds (terror!) at Cheltenham Lit festival

3. I genuinely think if you read it now, you could have a new or at least a shifted mindset for this summer. The topics I talk about in UGLY - from body size and skin colour to age and the impact of social media - could give you the key to get over that one thing you can’t seem to push through. My hope is that it gives you the confidence to think about appearance, bodies and beauty standards in an entirely new, and previously undiscussed way. Summer, beaches, fun, freedom is for everyone.

4.There are some practical tips too; these are things I’ve devised myself, and use to help shift my beliefs about beauty and my self esteem. You can try them out, adapt them and see what works - but I’ve had great feedback on them so far, and I wanted a practical element to the book - without it being a classic self help book - to engage a different part of your brain when you read it. So you’re being entertained (I hope) but also can try a few practical things too.

5. You can just read the chapter that applies to you. Although the book builds into a story and each chapter links from the previous one, I approached each chapter like a mini book, so you can dip in and out, and read - or listen - to them in any order. I’d suggest reading An Ugly Start first as a basis, then a chapter of your choice next.

My body is about 80% itch here - and I am covered in a slimy layer of Epaderm to stop it falling off. Zero joy.

Finally, get your tiny violins out, but I cared about what I was writing so much, and wanted to change my outlook and that of future readers so much that I gave myself the worst stress eczema I’ve ever had and had to do two rounds of oral steroids to even shift it a bit. See above….

Much UGLY love

Here are all the links to buy UGLY!

UK:  https://amzn.to/4afALke

USA: Amazon.com, Bookshop.org and Barnes & Noble

Australia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/ugly-anita-bhagwandas/book/9781788704762.html

South Africa: https://www.loot.co.za/product/ugly/hccr-7803-g020

Germany (and Europe): https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Anita-Bhagwandas/dp/1788704762/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TM3W5MXWT7N8&keywords=9781788704762&qid=1690991830&sprefix=9781788704762%2Caps%2C60&sr=8-1

Sweden: https://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/ugly-9781788704755

India: https://shorturl.at/uBYZ2

Singapore: https://singapore.kinokuniya.com/bw/978178870476