Mother, Inc. — my new book — is available now
My debut book, published with The Pound Project, is available to buy for a limited time. And here’s how it all started...
In a world where we are technologically more connected—to family, to history, to each other—somehow, women in the early years of motherhood are feeling more isolated than ever.
I never expected to write about motherhood. To want to write about motherhood. If I’m honest (and I am ashamed to say so now), I saw it as some kind of weakness. A weak subject. A boring one too. Why do all new mothers want to harp on about motherhood? Why do all women who’ve just given birth labour into extreme detail about their experience? But, like all brittle beliefs about parenting held on the flip side of that membrane-like portal, this prejudice snapped when I eventually, painfully, walked through. Like Neo in the Matrix, based on Plato’s cave allegory, which I think about often, I had the goggles of the simulation lifted off. Oh. This, this, is what it’s all about then. And yet, everyone else seemed to go on in the pretence. Like it’s not about creating new life, and being an animal, and the blood, and guts, and the raw close-to-death experience of it all. I saw motherhood as slippery as the slime you see kids playing with. Society was asking me to hide this gloop into neat, sanitised boxes. But it kept spilling out.
My preconceptions of writing about motherhood were just as dripped in the patriarchy as most of my pre-parenthood ideals. I saw the subject matter as weak because I’d been trained into thinking women move into weakness when they shape-shift into mothers.
We met our first child, our daughter, during the summer of the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. In 2024, we had a son. And in 2025 I went to a mother’s day circle and everything changed. That same week, my life tipped over and I did not go back to work as planned. From the rubble, two things remained. What I’d really wanted to lean into for the last five years: to mother, and to write—and this book is the first creation in a new life.
“A gripping, essential intervention on the conflict between family and working life today. Puts paid to the Lean In myth and lays bare the discrimination faced by so many mothers in working, public life. Beautifully written, honest, moving and a relief to read. This is a book that will help us evolve.”
—Lucy Jones, author of Matrescence
It’s been an absolute joy to work with JP from The Pound Project, and now become one of 32 other book projects they’ve put out into the world. I wrote last week about why, as a Brummie born and bred, this is the perfect collaborative publisher for my first book, and I’m over the moon to be alongside so many esteemed writers from their archive, including Amie McNee, Leyla Kazim, Natalie Lue, Pandora Sykes, Emma Gannon, Laura Jane Williams, Daisy Buchanan and a whole lot more you can browse here. The Pound Project’s tagline is “small change, one story at a time,” and JP has spoken at length before about how success doesn’t look like book sales, it looks like impacting one reader, just one reader, with your words. I very much feel this to be true, with this book especially.
The Pound Project operates on a kickstarter-campaign like model, releasing one short story at a time, producing only what it sells. It champions readers and writers first, and believes in the value and worth of a good story. The book itself is gorgeous, can easily be read in one sitting, fits in your back pocket, and feels like a vital drop into a very big sea. There are some exciting packages on offer with the book too: signed copies, a limited edition tee featuring artwork I commission by Nhung Lê, a new workshop with me on writing like a feminist, a discounted subscription to this newsletter, and more.
Writing about motherhood, in attempting to find the language for my experience of it, I believe now is my most powerful act of resistance. There is hope in it too. I hope this book goes some way to dig deeper into the issues and tensions today’s mothers face, particularly in relation to the world of work, through the lens of my personal story. My hope is for ideas and solutions and worlds where mothers can live out full lives with less pain and despair. This book is for all the mothers, and their little ones, and our future.
Introducing the writers behind Volume Two
You may have noticed from the beautiful mandarin and lavender covers (cover reveal!) that Volume Two is by “Hannah Ray & Company”. I’m delighted to finally share more about what that entails.
The second half of Mother, Inc.—Volume Two—brings together voices of prominent and exciting new writers exploring modern-day aspects of motherhood. Divided into three themes: work, mind, and body, three essays from skilled mother-writers delve into their unique lived experience of the modern mothering conundrum: looking at the workplace, childcare, Covid, finding home, community, fertility, isolation, tradition, stereotypes, family support, technology, capitalism and (of course) the patriarchy.
The essays
‘Solidarity (with children) forever’, by Aimee Ballinger—writer and bookshop owner (Burning House Books) in Glasgow, UK and writing on Substack here.
‘Break a few’ by Alice Kinsella—poet and author of Milk, on motherhood and madness. Writes on Substack at Creation in Crisis
‘Now you have her’ by Kerri ní Dochartaigh—author of cacophony of bone, runs mother-writers workshop and group. Kerri writes on Substack at Glimmers
Putting together Mother, Inc. Volume Two, commissioning, editing and bringing together a wonderful kaleidoscopic lens on the subject matter, was an absolute dream come true. I’ve commissioned many a piece of published work for the internet, for the Guardian, Instagram, Vogue, and of course Substack, but this felt different. This wasn’t a big media overlord. This wasn’t for a book available on Amazon. It is for the power of the story. I’m so proud of what we achieved.
With the beautiful illustration by Nhung Lê, which is exclusively available to those buying the printed book or limited edition T-shirt, this been a transformative process for me. I can’t wait for you to read the amazing words of these women and see Nhung’s spectacular work too. So go ahead…
Mother, Inc. launch events
I have a few one-time offline and online events coming up to celebrate and launch this work into the literary world. As my supporters and biggest fans, I hope you’ll be able to join in some way or other.
Here’s what’s coming up:
Book launch Q&A with Hannah Ray and Becky Barnicoat ,
Hypatia Trust, Penzance, Cornwall, UK
Friday 27 March, 7–9pm
Join me and Becky Barnicoat for the launch Mother, Inc. at my local feminist bookshop in Penzance, Cornwall, UK (yes we have our own feminist bookshop!)—The Hypatia Trust. I will be in conversation with Becky about the book, how it came together, working with an independent sustainable publisher, and speaking into the wider discourse of work and mothering. Becky is super clued up on everything publishing, motherhood, memoir, and Cornwall living following the paperback launch of her latest book Cry When The Baby Cries (which I interviewed her about here), so this is sure to be a lively, fun, and special conversation
This is a relaxed Q&A and all are welcome to attend, including children and babies. Please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements. Tickets are available on the door with all proceeds going back into keeping Hypatia Trust running.
In conversation with Toni Jones of 💛 The Shelf Help Clubhouse ,
Substack Live
Tuesday 7 April, 3pm GMT
Journalist-turned-bibliotherapist Toni runs 💛 The Shelf Help Clubhouse on Substack—the world’s first dedicated self-help book club, where readers are able to join real conversations with like-minded book lovers seeking to design lives they love. I’m excited to chat to Toni about Mother, Inc. as I’ve seen some of her Substack lives with other (“real”) authors and the conversations are always super deep, thoughtful, and meaningful. Subscribe to Toni’s Substack to join.
JP from The Pound Project and me interview each other :)
Substack Live
Wednesday 8 April, 7.30pm GMT
What do you get when you put two Brummie journalists running other creative projects together? The desire to interview each other of course! Join me and JP, founder of The Pound Project for a very real double-interview about putting together Mother, Inc., Birmingham, journalism, publishing, Substack, and everything in-between on Wednesday 8 April at 7.30pm GMT. Subscribe to either of our Substacks to join.
Writing motherhood, LIVE ZOOM event
Thursday 9 April, 12pm
On Thursday April 9, 12–1pm GMT I’ll be co-hosting a LIVE ZOOM with contributing writers to Volume 2 of the two-part book, Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Alice Kinsella, and Aimee/Burning House Books. To join, simply become a paid subscriber to any of our Substacks and we’ll send you the direct link in the morning.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey. Please do leave a comment below. And waving madly from Cornwall.
I cannot WAIT to read these! 👏
Congrats Hannah.