The assumption that people actually mean 'unlovable' or 'unworthy' when they describe themselves as 'fat' reveals the harsh bias we have against bigger bodies, says writer and podcaster Aubrey Gordon. "It's rare that I say I'm fat without someone saying 'no, you're not, you're beautiful' which is a wild assumption to make that those things can't coexist," she tells Susie Ferguson.
Septuagenarian Ruth Shaw's plans for a quiet retirement were derailed last year when her memoir The Bookseller at the End of the World, became an international bestseller.