How to be a Gentlewoman: The Art of Soft Power in Hard Times

Description

'This is brilliant and timely' - Elizabeth Day HOW TO BE A GENTLEWOMAN is pitched as somewhere between the bestselling non-fiction EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE by Dolly Alderton, and Nora Ephron for the Trump-aghast world. It will present an antidote to the often brutal and aggressive conditions of modern life by asking the reader to embrace a way of being that has gentleness (to oneself and others) at its centre. Lotte's first ever book weaves powerful memoir with practical advice and a psychological deep dive into what truly constitutes a meaningful and happy existence. It posits that it is engaging with others, being emotionally attuned, and deft both in negotiation and relationships that ultimately will help us to discover our real and lasting power. Contributors will include Elizabeth Day, Romy Madley Croft (the lead singer of The xx), Paris Lees, Gina Martin, Clara Amfo, Alex Eagle, and Lorraine Candy as well as archaelogists, artists, happiness consultants, and academics.

In 2016 Lotte Jeffs won 'Writer of The Year' at the Press and Publishing Association Awards. The following year she was shortlisted for 'Columnist of the Year' for her eponymously-named ELLE magazine column, Lotte's Lexicon. She has been a features writer and columnist for the past 15 years, writing for the Independent, the Guardian, The Saturday Times, The Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and ELLE. Jeffs has enjoyed a successful career on staff at magazines most recently as Features Editor and Acting Deputy Editor of ES Magazine and Deputy Editor and Acting Editor in Chief of ELLE. She has appeared on TV and radio and regularly hosts and participates in industry panel discussions. Jeffs was head-hunted by the global advertising agency Ogilvy to join its UK office as a Creative Director. Having pivoted into a different, but similar, industry she has continued to keep a toe in journalism, writing a Notebook column for the Evening Standard, features for the national press and celebrity cover interviews for newspaper supplements and magazines. She lives in London with her wife, Jenny and they are soon expecting their first baby.

Lotte Jeffs is a fresh, unique and wry voice who writes with generosity and insight - the epitome of a gentlewoman, in fact. This is a brilliant and timely exploration of what it means to be a successful female in the 21st century. - Elizabeth Day, author of How to Fail Lotte is an eloquent and modern voice. How to Be A Gentlewoman is smart, inclusive and authentic. - Lorraine Candy, Editor-in-Chief of Sunday Times Style Part memoir, part manual - this is the type of book every modern woman can take something from. - Grazia How to be a Gentlewoman feels both authentic and fresh. - The Times