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Memoir

Photo of a sunlit forest trail with a person walking on a rocky path surrounded by tall trees.

Memoir

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My three decades alone, basking in the company of a mountain

I live alone in a mountain cabin. Is my solitary life an indulgence, a form of madness or a route to spiritual fulfilment?

by Susanne Sener

Photo of two people on a train reading Metro newspapers with headlines about royalty and sports transfers.

Love

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What I’ve learned about relationships as an agony uncle

I am an agony uncle. This is what I’ve learned about men, women and how relationships work in my 10 years of giving advice

by James McConnachie

Black and white photo of a woman typing at a desk with a poster of Mao Zedong and framed art on the wall.

Memoir

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Learn the art of journaling and archive your life

Journaling is an art and a daily practice that allows you to write your life and find your way, one sentence at a time

by Sarah Boon

Painting depicting pioneers with covered wagons and oxen travelling through a valley, with mountains, a river, and people on horseback in the background.

Identity

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I rebuilt my self-esteem by changing the story of who I am

I once clung to a dubious family legend to help me cope with a difficult childhood. I’ve since found a better story to tell

by Patricia Olsen

Abstract photo of green plant with round buds, rocks and grass blended with light streaks for a textured, vibrant effect.

Altered states

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My synaesthesia is no mere quirk but a self-shaking strangeness

My initial is pale pink, the month of June is cerulean blue: synaesthesia gets my senses crosswired, and makes me who I am

by Catherine Taylor

Photo of two people outdoors in winter clothing with sun rays surrounding them. One person wears glasses. Bright sky in background.

Ageing

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How I met my mother: dementia brought back her true self

In dementia, my mother lived with the friendly ghosts of her past – and I got to know her as someone other than just my mum

by Ina Kjøgx Pedersen

Photo of a cityscape at sunset with silhouetted buildings and a person on a bridge in the foreground.

Pain

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Chronic pain forces a strange dance: performing wellness for others

Living with chronic pain has taught me that pain is boring for others and that our bodies are fragile containers for life

by Jude Cook

Painting of a person sitting on a colourful bed in a room with abstract patterns and vibrant colours.

Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

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The power of slow therapy, revealed in two pioneering memoirs

Two therapy memoirs by Lucy Freeman, an overlooked mental health pioneer, remind us of the value of slow, convoluted therapy

by Elliot Jurist

Black and white photo of a woman in a dark dress lying on a leather couch, looking upward with one hand on her face.

Therapeutic relationships

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My failed analysis gave me confidence and taught me when to quit

What does successful psychoanalysis look like? I’d read all around Freud and I didn’t know, but then neither did my analyst

by Lisa Levy

A young woman in a contemporary apartment is reflected but partially obscured in the plate glass windows

Place

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The divided self: does where I live make me who I am?

At home in Delhi, I am a more social, interactive person. A quiet balcony in Frankfurt gave me space to be by myself

by Anandi Mishra

A close-up of a hand completing a jigsaw puzzle showing a street scene with shops and a clock against a black background.

Pleasures and pastimes

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On the consolatory pleasure of jigsaws when the world is in bits

It’s not memory that makes us human but meaning-making. When life falls apart, jigsaw puzzles help us put some pieces back

by Melanie McGrath

Photo of a riverside with buildings, a bridge and Tower Bridge in view, pedestrians on a pebbled shore in the foreground.

Stories and literature

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Time, like memory, is fickle: days wrap back on themselves

Time, like memory, is structurally fickle: days wrap back on themselves. The experience of it is hardly ever chronological

by Grace Linden