Gillian Anderson declares ‘even more daring’ follow-up to bestselling e-book of sexual fantasies

Gillian Anderson has introduced a follow-up to her bestselling anthology of feminine sexual fantasies, Want, with the hope that it’s going to be “more international, and even more daring”.

The unique e-book “gave thousands of women the freedom to talk about sex without shame or judgment; to see themselves in the words of strangers, and reflect on their own desires – some for the very first time,” Anderson mentioned. “But Want unlocked so much more for so many and felt like just the beginning of a deeper conversation.”

Published in September 2024, Want accumulated 174 written essays through girls, actual names redacted, who replied to Anderson’s name for participants, wherein she requested: “Tell me what you think about when you think about sex.” The e-book used to be impressed through Nancy Friday’s 1973 cult hit My Secret Garden: Women’s Sexual Fantasies, and Anderson’s revel in taking part in a intercourse therapist within the Netflix collection Sex Education. Each nameless essay used to be paired with a temporary statement through Anderson – and, tantalisingly, one of the crucial essays themselves is through the actor, leaving readers left to bet which one.

The follow-up anthology will proceed in the similar vein: “Whether you’re the Queen of Kink or have never been kissed, whether you’ve read Want cover to cover, or are just hearing about it now, I want to hear your favourite fantasies – and this time, I want to hear it all,” Anderson mentioned. Submissions are open now, and can shut 23 May.

More than 1,000 girls replied to the callout for Anderson’s first e-book, which Kitty Drake described in her Guardian evaluate as “shockingly odd” but “hyperaware of its place in a culture that is liberal enough to produce a children’s show called Sex Education, but also seeks to tidy up sex and make it palatable”.

Want used to be an quick No 1 Sunday Times bestseller in the United Kingdom, and reached No 8 within the New York Times bestseller checklist. The English version is these days to be had in 74 nations, and translation rights had been bought for 27 other languages.

Anderson pledged a sum of £500 for every letter printed within the unique Want e-book, to be cut up similarly between the charities Women for Women International and War Child. The e-book’s writer Bloomsbury additionally gave £50,000 to Women for Women International. Bloomsbury and Anderson mentioned they are going to decide to the similar contributions for this 2nd assortment.

Alexis Kirschbaum, editorial director at Bloomsbury, mentioned running with Anderson “has been an immense and inspiring undertaking. We are doing it again to give even more women the opportunity to take part, and I can’t wait to see what the next book reveals.”