Radical Intimacy

An impassioned discussion about the alternative ways to form relationships and resist capitalism

‘A clarion voice from a new generation of British feminists’ Sophie Lewis, author of Abolish the Family

‘A powerful, utterly engaging read and a vital call to action’ Meg-John Barker, author of Rewriting the Rules

‘Made me reconsider so many of the cultural scripts I’ve been fed my whole life. Unsparing, important and hopeful’ Annie Lord, author of Notes on Heartbreak

In a world where money rules, what does it mean to have good relationships?

Radical Intimacy explores how the capitalist system shapes our intimate lives, and what we can do about it. Through the topics of self-care, romance and sex, family, home, death and friendship, the book looks at the histories and modern realities of these forms of intimacy, and considers what it might mean for things to be otherwise.

From political sex scandals to climate justice, from Britney Spears to communes, from Black Lives Matter to alternatives to the nuclear family, Sophie K. Rosa interrogates common sense ideas about ‘the good life’. What might our desires look like in a better world? And how can care, connection and community support our struggles for liberation?

Sophie K. Rosa is a writer and journalist. She has written for many publications including Novara Media, the Independent, the Guardian, Buzzfeed, VICE, Al Jazeera, Aeon and CNN.

'A clarion voice from a new generation of British feminists ... I was gripped' - Sophie Lewis, author of Abolish the Family

Capitalist ideology wants us to believe that there is an optimal way to live. 'Making connections' means networking for work. Our emotional needs are to be fulfilled by a single romantic partner, and self-care equates to taking personal responsibility for our suffering. We must be productive and heterosexual, we must have babies and buy a house. But the kicker is most people cannot and do not want to achieve these goals. Instead we are left feeling atomised, exhausted and disempowered.

Radical Intimacy shows that it doesn't need to be this way. Including inspiring ideas for alternative ways to live, Sophie K Rosa demands we use our radical imagination to discover a new form of intimacy.

Including critiques of the 'wellness' industry that ignores rising poverty rates, the mental health crisis and racist and misogynist state violence; transcending love and sex under capitalism to move towards feminist, decolonial and queer thinking; asking whether we should abolish the family; interrogating the framing of ageing and death and much more, Radical Intimacy is the compassionate antidote to a callous society.

Now as an audiobook, to listen to on the go.