Who Wants Normal?

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

A groundbreaking, essential and electrifying blend of memoir, handbook, celebration and call to action, from the acclaimed journalist and campaigner.

'No one really talks about it. No one really talks about what it is to be a disabled woman, especially a young one. To go a bit mad. To experience pain or exhaustion or feel 92. To navigate all the standard parts of life - exams, careers, dating - but with a body that is different than everyone else’s.'

Exploring six facets of life: education, careers, health, body image, relationships and representation, as well as how to survive life's bumps in the road, Who Wants Normal? is a game-changing take on disability and feminism.

Part memoir, part manifesto, and full of Frances Ryan's trademark warmth, humour and honesty (as well as hard-hitting statistics), it draws on her own experience as well as from interviews with over 40 of the world's leading women and non-binary people with mental and physical health conditions, including Selma Blair, Jillian Mercado, Sophie Morgan, Ruth Madeley, Sinead Burke, Rosie Jones, Fearne Cotton, Jack Monroe, Emma Barnett, Imani Barbarin and Jameela Jamil.

Who Wants Normal? lifts the lid off a subject that is too often shrouded in awkwardness and silence. It offers support, inspiration and a sense of solidarity to the many, many women with disabilities and long-term health issues – as well as opening the eyes of anyone wanting to better understand the many facets of living with a disability.

© Frances Ryan 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025