Comfort zones, by their nature, are indicative of positions of privilege.
To be allowed to shy away from braving new situations or unpleasant atmospheres is a luxury that not everybody can afford. This is the beauty of an upcoming anthology of essays, letters and stories titled ‘Comfort Zones’, published in aid of charity Women for Women International.
Women for Women International works to support women who live in some of the world’s most dangerous and conflict-ridden locations. Women can enrol on the charity’s year-long training programme, where they learn how to earn and save money, improve their family’s health and make their voices heard at home and within their community.
Since 1993, Women for Women International has helped almost half a million marginalised women in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan.
Curated by content agency Sonder & Tell and published by British fashion brand Jigsaw, ‘Comfort Zones’ has asked a group of influential women writers to go out of their comfort zone and tackle themes and forms within their writing that are brave, vulnerable and new to them.
Kate Hamilton and Emily Ames from Sonder & Tell explain that the anthology holds a ‘record of profound experience and experimental styles’, as they asked writers to ‘think about their usual subject matter, and then work against it. There are journalists tackling their first works of fiction, reflective essays that take an unflinching look at past failures, and big ideas for creating a kinder world.’
Contributors include Pandora Sykes, Farah Storr, Natasha Lunn and Zing Tsjeng, with topics ranging from journeys into motherhood to the vulnerability that comes with intimacy.
'Comfort Zones' launches in UK book stores and online on April 30. Pre-order here.
