Dominique Afacan & Helen Cathcart

Hardie Grant Books, 5th September 2019, $19.99

“I have got so SO much joy from Bolder, which challenges the national preconception we have of elderly identity as well as being just a fascinating read, full of wit and warmth and wisdom and beautiful photography.” – Dolly Alderton

It's time to change the conversation about growing older. Bolder documents 28 inspirational over-70s who teach us that there is no deadline on happiness, no age limit on enthusiasm and no cut-off date when it comes to finding love. Dive into Bolder and discover some invaluable life lessons from people older and wiser than you.

Ageism is out there, it's ingrained in our culture and it starts early. Alongside questions of why we're still single or childless, we're sold creams, gels and miracle cures to defy nature and 'fight' the age process, as if it isn't the most natural thing in the world. Youth is king. For authors Dominique and Helen, both in their mid-30s, ageism had already won. Scared of getting old, they pictured their futures mostly filled with loneliness, rocking chairs and possibly some tea and biscuits, if they were lucky. Their happy days felt numbered, the dread of ageing was creeping in. So, they decided to do something about it. Bolder was born (www.be-bolder.com) – a collection of beautiful portraits and stories from real people, not acting anything like their media-prescribed ages.

Bolder teaches us that we shouldn't fear old age, we should respect it. Old age doesn't just 'happen' one day. Ageing is a constant and a privilege for all of us, every minute, every hour, every day. Bolder is here to prove it can be fun. One interviewee fell in love and married, aged 82. Another swims a mile in the Med every morning, aged 85. Nearly all of them cite the happiest age of their lives as now, not then. From well-known names including Zandra Rhodes, Barbara Hulanicki and Michel Roux, to lesser-known people who will likely become your new heroes.

This year there will be a million new septuagenarians alone, more than ever before. Living until 90 and beyond is soon to become the norm, rather than the exception, and Bolder shows us how to do it in style. This book sits among the society-wide scaremongering, demanding to be seen and heard, changing the dialogue on ageing now and for our futures. The people within it are anything but invisible, and there's so much to learn from them.

Media Release

For further information, to request a review copy or arrange an interview with the authors, please contact Rebecca Smedley at rebeccasmedley@hardiegrant.com or 020 7601 7500

hardiegrantbooks.com @hardiegrantuk

Sue Kreitzman, one of the book's interviewees will be in New York for the month of November and is available for publicity.