Author, podcaster & newsletter writer
Hello, I’m Francesca Specter, the millennial, London-dwelling author of Alonement: How To Be Alone & Absolutely Own It (a Times book of the year 2021) and host of the Alonement podcast. I have a decade-long career in magazines & digital journalism, and in 2022 I launched a subscriber-funded email newsletter, The Shoulds, an online publication & community space exploring the hidden rules & stories that shape our lives.
What I’m focusing on now
Writing my newsletter, ‘The Shoulds’
In October 2022, I launched a weekly email newsletter, The Shoulds – which each week explores a new theme around something we tell ourselves we ‘should’ do e.g. ‘I should meditate’, ‘I should be a better friend’.
It’s for readers interested in living an authentic, rich life that’s guided by their own inner curiosity – rather than fear, guilt & anxiety stemming from what they’ve been told they ‘should’ do. The Shoulds is a reader-funded publication via Substack, meaning it’s tailored directly towards what subscribers would like to read about.
Recent posts include:
BOOK
Alonement: How to be alone and absolutely own it
4 March 2021
Do you struggle to enjoy alone time?
Or do you love taking yourself off for alone time, but struggle to justify it to your partner or family?
Does your fear of time alone drive you to unhealthy levels of busy-ness?
Or are you desperate to find just five minutes for yourself?
Is the idea of ‘needing space’ from someone a foreign concept?
Or else, do you struggle to maintain your independence in your relationships?
Do you want to celebrate and benefit from your alone time – however much, or little, of it you get?
This is the book for you.
Alonement is an uplifting and celebratory guide to embracing being alone, whatever your age, life stage or relationship status. Part practical guide, part memoir and part cultural commentary, it’s been described by journalist Daisy Buchanan as a ‘joyous invitation to make your own declaration of independence’.
REVIEWS
Just because you are alone, it doesn't mean that you are lonely. Such is the premise behind Specter's fascinating book, both a celebration and a practical guide towards how to make being by yourself work for you’
— iNEWS
‘A kind, wise celebration of solo living - a joyous invitation to make your own declaration of independence’
— DAISY BUCHANAN
‘A hugely generous and thoughtful book which reminds us of the distinction between loneliness on the one hand and solitude on the other - and emphasises the dignity and adventure of a life lived on one's own terms’
— ALAIN DE BOTTON
‘Thoughtful and thought provoking, it made me genuinely excited about spending time in my own company’
— FELICITY CLOAKE
Work with me
Writing commissions
Speaking engagements
I’m an experienced speaker & moderator, having spoken on stage everywhere from the Global Web Summit in Lisbon to the Primadonna Festival in Suffolk. If you’d like to discuss speaking opportunities, send me an email.
Podcasting 1:1s
Since creating and hosting the Alonement podcast independently in 2019, I enjoy working with a limited number of podcasters-to-be to help them launch their shows. Looking for help? Book a 15-minute ‘discovery call’ for us to have a chat.