What women fantasise about – according to Gillian Anderson’s unflinching new book
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What are women truly looking for in the bedroom? This is a question that has been asked countless times, and Gillian Anderson's bold new book about female sexual desires, Want, delves into this topic in depth.
Today, a book was published containing 174 secret desires from women all over the globe. These confessions were chosen from a pool of 1800 submissions and categorized into 13 sections with titles ranging from "To Be Adored" to "Those who watch and those who are watched".
Anderson's personal fantasies are tucked within the pages. Although the actress is recognized for her open discussions about sexuality – from her portrayal of a sex therapist in Sex Education to her beverage line G Spot – she admits feeling uneasy about articulating them.
Out of nowhere, Anderson shared with BBC News that expressing the thoughts and visuals in his mind brought a surprising level of closeness that he didn't anticipate. He was surprised by his own shyness when discussing the topic.
The book contains a diverse mix of fantasies. Some women fantasize about having passionate sex with Harry Styles or engaging in a three-way with the Weasley twins from Harry Potter. One person dreams of getting intimate on an altar in a church, while another enjoys the idea of "sweet and nasty" period sex. Many fantasies involve sex with strangers, and some women are aroused by the idea of voyeurism.
Desires range from imagining lesbian pirates raiding ships (no questions asked, or else facing a punishment of being stripped and whipped), to medical students examining intimate parts of the body, and engaging in a secret romantic relationship with a coworker.
Next, we have the emotional entries - a woman who is grieving and yearning for physical touch, and another who is harboring a secret crush on her closest friend. A different woman longs for her husband to simply compliment her beauty.
One complex section, titled "The Captive", explores fantasies involving strong control, submission, and aggression. These thoughts are not meant to be put into action, they are simply fantasies. Anderson explained that it would have seemed insincere not to discuss them since they are real.
One of the main goals of the book is to empower women by allowing them to tell their own stories, in a world where pornography typically prioritizes the perspective and preferences of men.
The assortment is a contemporary twist on a revolutionary publication of women's desires, My Secret Garden, which was released by Nancy Friday in 1973.
Want is currently in stock at several bookstores.
