Table of contents for Issue 547 in Grazia

Do we feel sorry for the multimillionaire Hollywood actresses getting paid less than their male co-stars? Let’s be honest, they’re richer than we could ever dream of… But should we care? Absolutely! Because, whatever our salaries, equal pay is a no-brainer. You helped Grazia change the law in this country to force companies to be more transparent around gender pay gaps – and now some of the most important names in Hollywood are attempting the same thing. From no-holds barred interviews to a groundbreaking lawsuit, read about it on page 42. This issue is also jam-packed with brilliant features and amazing fashion – from the story that will make you rethink your whole dating game (page 79) to the 100 hottest new shoes of the season (it’s time to embrace…

IT’S SOBER OCTOBER, and our drinking buddies are all on the wagon. But perhaps hipster NewYorkers have the answer. Instead of spending their nights downing tequila and dancing on tables, they're buying tickets (at $15 to $50 a pop) for ‘Juice Crawls' and getting high on vitamins (and self-importance) instead of booze. Despite the trend being described as ‘the death knell of NY nightlife', those partaking in the apparently ‘rowdy' events are often spotted dancing in the streets after getting their minds blown by wheatgrass shots and cucumber mocktails. Realistically, though, we'd bet every pious Juice Crawler actually spends the evening finding the right angle to make their mulch-coloured drink look Insta-ready. Yes, it's possible to enjoy yourself without a bottle of WKD waggling from each fingertip, and we can…

Photos:Wire Image, Xposure AS DISCUSSED AT GREAT LENGTH on these pages, no one has the right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do with your womb.Yet when US chat-show host Wendy Williams accused Nicole Scherzinger, 37, of having ‘wasted her child-bearing years' on Lewis Hamilton (who, rumour has it, didn't want children), it got me thinking… What if you know you want a family but the man you love doesn't? Should you get out sooner rather than later? We have no way of knowing the ins and outs of Nicole's relationship, whether she told Lewis she wanted babies, whether he agreed and then changed his mind. Maybe Wendy got it wrong, but Nicole didn't disagree with her assertion. Neither do I, and here's why. I'm 38 and know…

Photos: Photoshot, Rex Features I spent the weekend at literary festivals, shamelessly plugging my book, Hot Feminist* . I met a lot of other women writers who, though very different to me, also describe themselves as feminists. That’s feminism for you. Big and broad. One of them was the poet Megan Beech, an appallingly young (21), disgustingly talented individual, who I liked anyway. ‘Do people always describe you as “a strong woman”?’ Megan asked me, as we staggered off stage, in search of hospitality, aka free cake and wine. ‘They do!’ I said, because – well. They do. ‘How do you feel about that?’ Megan continued. How do I feel about being called a ‘strong woman’? Since Megan (also labelled a ‘strong woman’) asks: I’m not keen. First: it’s a…

MONDAY: 12 HOURS 08.00Arrive for ward round. 14.30 Eat while writing discharge letters. Check results and tests. 16.55Admit any patients the team are concerned about overnight,. 18.30 Discharge letters/referrals. 19.00A patient’s family members want to speak to a doctor. I explain how we plan to help their loved one. 20.00 Finally, I go home. TUESDAY: 12 HOURS 08.00Ward round.We spend an hour and a half treating an unwell patient who thankfully stabilises. 14.00Order scans/manage patients. 16:30The patient from this morning is sick again.The family feel further intervention would do more harm than good.The patient is unlikely to recover. I comfort the family. Then I take five minutes to cry – being part of someone’smostvulnerable momentscan be very emotional.A nurse gets me a cup of tea. I carry on. 18:30 I…

PHOTOGRAPHS MARCO VITTUR THE SUPER SLING BACK Arguably the shoe of the season, the ladylike combination of a slingback and a low heel has been given the green light by Chanel, Miu Miu and Gucci. There’s no outfit that won’t benefit from their addition: from a denim-heavy look to a geek-chic tank top layered over a midi dress. Happy feet ahoy. GET LOW Standing proud at no more than 2.5 inches tall, what the new breed of demi-pumps lack in height, they make up for in comfort (who couldn’t strut around in these all day long?), plus an added ability to transform each and every outfit into something polished but distinctly more casual than it ever was before. TRUE VELVET Platform or stiletto, bejewelled or colour blocked… if there’s a…

1. White collar When it comes to wardrobe staples, you can’t beat an androgynous white shirt – the boxier the better. Shirt, £29.95, Gap (gap.eu) 2. Heavy metal The black clutch gets a studded makeover. Keep jewellery to a minimum – this is all the embellishment you’ll need. Bag, £29.99, Zara (zara.com) 3. Panel show Two-tone leather sets this A-line skirt apart. Swap the white shirt for a grey polo neck once the weather turns colder. Skirt, £80,Warehouse (warehouse.co.uk)…

Photos: Jason Lloyd - Evans and Marco Vitturr. Chanel: 020 7493 3836. Lottie London: superdrug.com. Nailberry nailberry.co.u k. Nails Inc: nailsinc.co.uk GUNMETAL NAILS 1 Where we spotted it Waltzing down the Wes Gordon runway in New York and turning well- g roomed heads on the FROW. 2Why we loved it Softer and prettier than black, yet with all the edgy sophistication brought on by a darker manicure, gunmetal grey is for autumn wh coral was for spring – namely, the perfect fit . They just so happen to go wonderfully well with our new chunky knit s , too … at 3 Ways to wear it ‘Any colour with a deep, dark under tone is generally flattering for all skin tones, ’ explains nail guru and backstage regular Marian Newman…

PEAR & HONEY ALMOND CAKE Serves: 8Cooking time: 1 hour 3 eggs100ml honey or maple syrup50ml olive oil½ tsp almond extract3 small pears (approx 350g),grated with skins on usinga large-hole cheese grater225g ground almonds1 tsp ground cinnamon1 tsp baking powder½ tsp bicarbonate of soda½ tsp fine salt50g flaked almonds for topping 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (Fan 140°C/ gas mark 3). Grease and line a 22cm round baking tin. 2. Separate the eggs into two bowls, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and leave to one side. 3. To the yolks, add the honey or maple syrup, olive oil, almond extract and grated pears and mix well. 4. Now, add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. 5. Lastly, fold in the beaten egg…

French drama The Returned arrived in the UK two years ago as a moody study of what happens to a beautiful, bleakly picturesque Alpine town when the dead come back to dwell among the living. Suicidal Simon, mute little Victor and teenage Camille all landed back in the lives they’d left, tense, sharp and scary. The repercussions slowly fed from the drip trays of The Lake Pub, The Returned’s very own hipster queen Vic. The first season unpeeled a stylishly chaotic, riveting atmosphere of pure noir. It rattled nerves. A clear narrative shift opens season two, which begins this week. The next instalment is a study of not what happens when chaos arrives, but how communities deal with chaos hanging around. The central metaphor is Adele’s unborn child, shifting crazily…

NEWYORK IS one of the greatest cities on Earth. It's also one of the most exhausting, which is why thousands like to escape the city for a weekend or more. But forget the glitzy Hamptons, it's now the Catskills that has become the destination for in-the-know New Yorkers wanting a break from urban life. And it's the perfect antidote for visitors to NYC, with many extending their stay to head out there. Just two hours north of NewYork City, this area of outstanding beauty (nature trails in summer, skiing in winter) was once holiday territory for families who flocked to the big resorts (Dirty Dancing was set here), but fell out of favour in the 1970s. Now, a new generation is converting tired motels into cool hotels, opening farm-to-table restaurants…

Photo: Antoine Harinthe/Mondadori LIBRA 24 Sept – 23 Oct Ask yourself how long it’s taken you to decide whether aspects of your private life should change. Luckily, the New Moon is making it easier to stop resisting any developments that will require you to rethink areas that have remained static for too long. You don’t have to do things impulsively, but you have to accept there could be something demoralising about allowing one situation to continue as it is for much longer. SCORPIO 24 Oct – 22 Nov You’ll be tempted to come up with plans for a get-together that’s meant to be enjoyable but somewhat simple and low-key. But Jupiter, the planet of excess, is allied to Mars. This suggests that even if you’re not…

1 COLOUR-BLOCK BAG Bag, £310, Longchamp (uk.longchamp.com). Patchworked leather is basking in a fashion moment – as is animal print, and graphic lines, and mini bags… Do we need to say any more to persuade you that this bag is excellent? 2 DUNGAREE DREAM TICKET Dungarees, £260, Claudie Pierlot (uk.claudiepierlot.com). Since the denim onesie grew up earlier this year, there’s no stopping the iterations coming in thick and fast on to rails. We think we’ve found the best yet: Claudie Pierlot’s dark indigo wash and contrast stitching is TDF. 3 HOT HEELS Shoes, £377, Amélie Pichard (ameliepichard.com). Rising accessories star Amélie Pichard caught our eye for her quirky retro-inspired heels and handbags – shoe obsessives should check out these snakeskin heels. We ♥ . 4 BLOGGERS’ FAVE FRINGE Skirt, £369,…

C É LINE KENZO SACAI JUNYA WATANABE ‘I’M INTERESTED IN how clothes feel emotionally,’ Phoebe Philo said of her show for Céline. It could have been a mantra for the season. Paris is, of course, the place where the world’s greatest designers show, where fashion’s grandest ideas and incarnations of womanhood are explored, from innocent to experienced, fragile to empowered, conservative to radical. This time around in particular, that much was clear across the board. The venue for Ms Philo’s show was clad in sunshine colours – brightest yellow, orange and deep blue, hung above a sandy floor – a charming sign of the beautiful clothes to come: silk petticoats edged with contrasting fine lace, loose-fitting, ankle-length dresses in blush and custard, cut away at the back and tied with…

Photos: Splash News IT’S OFFICIALLY COAT SEASON, and there’s one iconic fabric making major waves, according to shopping statistics – shearling. Savvy shoppers have taken to ShopStyle.co.uk to track down the best buys, with searches for shearling coats up 300% compared to this time last year. Take your cue from Kate Hudson in Almost Famous (the entire blogosphere is), because her fluff-trimmed suede version is on the money for this season’s ’70s trend. These luxe cover-ups will elevate your wardrobe staples, whether you’re set to invest at Coach or Margaret Howell or heading to the high street for one of the many tactile takes on this mega-trend (but be quick – Warehouse sold 80% of its stock within two weeks of its arrival). Be they shorn or shaggy, curly or…

Photos: Getty Images, Reuters THE GIRL I’MTALKING TO is my age, 28, and in another life I think we’d have a lot in common. As it is, I have no idea what to say to Heydi. One month ago – in front of her two young daughters – her husband hacked both her feet off with a machete. It’s clear she’s still struggling to comprehend what’s happened to her and she winces as she shows me her painful-looking stumps, still swollen around the stitches. The brutality is unimaginable, but the fact is Heydi’s lucky to be alive, because Honduras, where I recently spent nearly three weeks filming for one of my new BBC Three documentaries on ‘the worst place to be a woman’, has become the murder capital of the…

BLESS THOSE A-LISTERS , needlessly perfecting their ‘fish gape’ and spending untold hours capturing the perfect ‘spontaneous’ selfie for Instagram. Little do they know that nine times out of 10, we’re far more interested in what’s going on in the background. Specifically, we’re squinting past their contoured duck faces, desperate for a telling glimpse of their interiors… Take Taylor Swift, who’s in the habit of posting pictures of her cat, Olivia Benson. The singer must have spent ages catching the exact moment her cat stood on two feet, or waiting for the precise second when Lily Aldridge’s toddler went in for some feline cuddles. But our eyes go straight beyond the cutesy foreground. Is that… is that a pond – in her living room? Further detective work reveals, yes, that…

FINERY LONDON A/W ’15 With specific reference to this look. MR WOOWOO POP ART Now accepting portrait commissions (though I’d rather have Diana Ross). ELEMIS SUPER SERUM ELIXIR Magic, I tell you! In a pump! ‘PHUBBING’ Phone snubbing: the passive-aggressive act of ignoring a companion to play with your phone. AMERICAN APPAREL Filing for bankruptcy, just as I discover I love its swimwear. BANKSY Two of his pieces didn’t sell for as many squillions as expected at a recent NY auction. Oh dear.…

OUR PANEL CHARLIE GOWANS-EGLINTON Grazia’s junior fashion news and features editor has an eye for the eclectic and a pathological fear of men in flip-flops. @charliegowans JOHN CRACE The Guardian’s Parliamentary sketchwriter, his party trick is whittling Alexa’s It book down to 600 words. Life changing. RIHANNA CHARLIE SAYS: ‘Oil-slick latex boots and Rihanna’s general coolness give a tough edge to Dior’s pale pink confection of a dress. I wish she’d steered clear of the prom up-do, though.’ JOHN SAYS: ‘The patent boots may be straight out of Star Wars, but the asymmetric coat is pure class; it’s genius to be able to pull off a style that fits nowhere and everywhere simultaneously.’ YOU SAY: ‘I absolutely love this. The colour is fresh and the cut is extremely pleasing, it’s…

IMAGINE JIMMY CHOO was your uncle (bear with us!). You’d probably have a spectacular shoe-drobe and a foot in the door should you want to break into the world of luxury accessories. Lucy Choi, 41, is that woman. And while she is very much in the fashion fold with her eponymous shoe line, it was only launched in 2013 and, once upon a time, this was not her dream at all. ‘I remember in Hong Kong, Uncle bought some navy flats over – that was my first memory of him making a pair of shoes. After university, I saw Uncle working really hard for the catwalk shows, and that’s when I thought: “Should I go into fashion… or not?”’ Lucy admits. ‘It would have been easy for me to follow…

A wave of wonderful cordwainers has entered the scene and guess what?They’re all women.Crafting the kind of pieces we’d happily allow into our esteemed shoe-drobes,the names to know are as follows… Olgana Paris Luxury shoe label Olgana was established last year but A/W ’15 has created the biggest fashion footprint for the art dealer-turned-designer’s intricately frilled creations. £445 (matchesfashion.com) Erin Adamson Shoe collector Géraldine Boublil has worked at Dior and Givenchy but founded her own label last year. She’s now our go-to for skinny heels that are just high enough to feel sexy, but not so high they turn sadistic. £315 (avenue32.com) Amélie Pichard There’s something enjoyably off-key about French designer Amélie’s shoes. Yes, they’ll be fluffy, pink and covered in candy-girl stripes, but the purposefully awkward heel shapes, flatforms…

Photos: Marco Vittur 1. SHADE SHIFTER Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Troublante, £19.50, eliminates the effort of trying to coordinate your polish with your winter wardrobe. This iridescent beauty is like all the shades of autumn stuffed into one bottle – and we’ve yet to find an outfit it doesn’t enhance immeasurably. 020 7493 3836 2. MILEY MANIA Ms Cyrus is back with a bang for a second stint as spokespers MAC’s now legendary Viva Glam campaign – all proceeds of which go to help people affected by HIV or AIDS. The Viva Glam Miley II Lipstick, £15.50, is an attention-grabbing, punchy orange – rather fitting, no? maccosmetics.co.uk 3. DREAM ON If you don’t have the energy to daub on 10 different products before bed (and frankly, who does?),…

COLOURAMA Colour chameleons, rejoice! Next season is looking bright, bold and experimental in the make-up department. Everywhere from Issey Miyake to Vivienne Westwood and Giambattista Valli, pops of bright pigments were splashed, painted and even blown (out of straws by the masterful Alex Box at Issey Miyake) across cheekbones, eyes and brows. The result? Playful, fun make-up that doesn’t take itself too seriously. PONY CLUB Ponytails took over the Parisian runways – from Balmain’s swishy, sky-high versions to Céline’s tomboy-ish plaited incarnations. In fact, the only uniting feature was a luxe-looking finish, which we’ll be recreating with Aveda Smooth Infusion Smoothing Masque, £22.50, and Nexxus Nutritive Encapsulate Serum, £35. SEW COOL Is sewing the new kirby grip? Backstage at McQueen, hair legend Guido used a needle and elasticised thread to…

Photos: BBC Pictures, All star/20 Century Fox, Channel 4 Pictures, Landmark Media OBSESSION BINGE An edge-of-seat investigation into hacking, Mr Robot is lined up to scoop all the awards. A socially impeded IT expert spends his nights wreaking havoc on corporate America. Christian Slater gets a late career spike. Seriously amazing. Amazon Prime, from Friday WEEKLY CHILLER Any Abi ‘The Iron Lady/ Shame' Morgan script is always worth a glance over. River upsets the police procedural with a supernatural twist as the titular detective is haunted by the loss of an old colleague. Dalston locations included. 9pm,Tuesday, BBC One PLACE YOUR BETS Advance Apprentice warning: among this year's 18 hopefuls in the It's A Knockout of recruitment, there is only one potential new Hopkins - surely now the holy grail…

HOW FAR HAVE YOU GONE in your mission to achieve the perfect complexion? Exchanged your favourite foods for a solid diet of oily fish? Indulged in a lemon facial cleanse? Perhaps you’ve even tried a ‘gold leaf mask’ in your quest for that elusive youthful glow… When it comes to our skin, the pursuit of perfection is definitely A Thing. In fact, Indeed Labs has discovered that a whopping 80% of women feel that having a clearer complexion would make them more confident, while a third said they would even give up chocolate – forever! – in exchange for a flawless face. So perhaps it’s unsurprising that women are willing to slather some pretty weird things on their face in the quest for great skin – from charcoal to haemorrhoid…

TO CELEBRATE THEIR 200TH BIRTHDAY, Pringle Of Scotland are giving customers a chance to design their own bespoke twinsets, argyles, and monogrammed knits – all in 100% Scottish cashmere, of course – with #PringleDeconstructed. Proof that you can never have too much of a good thing, especially when that thing is cashmere. pringledeconstructed.com JENNIFER ANISTONAND JUSTIN THEROUX made their red-carpet debut as newly-weds at the premiere of the second season of Justin’s HBO show The Leftovers. Discussing the time they’ve spent apart since their August wedding, Justin admitted ‘It’s horrible. We FaceTime, we call and text, but you’re really waiting for the weekend where you can depressurise and have longer conversations.’ Is Cara Delevingne engaged? The internet certainly seems to think so. Speculation arose after Cara and girlfriend St Vincent…

1. UP LOL FROM THIS IS ENGLAND Such chic, such sadness, such grace! CoL has never seen the like, dreams of recreating the look, suspects we lack the cheekbones. 2. NEW IN BEN DAY Instagram sensation. Man sensation. Man bun sensation. Hipster. Dog lover. Oh WHO CARES JUST LOOK AT HIM, WILL YOU? 3. NEW IN MISTY COPELAND First African-American female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, stole The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last week with a red catsuit and raw talent. 4. UP FREDDIE FLINTOFF One exceptionally good egg, according to CoL’s most trusted sources. Second Innings, his very surprising, beautifully frank book, is out imminently. 5. UP MERYL STREEP AS EMMELINE PANKHURST Behold the promotional artwork for Suffragette featuring a damn fine aesthetic and a magnificent…

FOR CHILDREN OF DIVORCE , getting your parents together on your wedding day can be tricky at the best of times. But when your parents are Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, things are going to be doubly difficult. That’s one awkward top table. So spare a thought for Isabella Cruise, who, it was revealed last week, married her British boyfriend Max Parker in an intimate ceremony at London’s Dorchester hotel – with neither of her parents in attendance. According to reports, Nicole, who was in London at the time rehearsing for West End play Photograph 51, had been ‘banned’ from the event. However, Grazia has learned that the truth is rather more complicated than that. According to one insider, ‘Bella initially wanted both Tom and Nicole to attend the ceremony,…

Photos: Goff Photos, PA AND SO IT SEEMS the old adage, ‘celebrities, they're just like us', might well be true - at least when it comes to rd Affleck. The A-list multimillionaire, Oscar-winning dad-of-three has had a pretty ropey time recently, following the breakdown of his 10-year marriage to Jennifer Garner amid allegations of his affair with the kids' nanny. It's fair to say Ben, 43, has been looking pretty glum. So what's a boy to do? Move in with his mum, that's what.That's right, just like the rest of us, when things can't get any worse, who do we go running home to? Our lovely, long-suffering mothers. ‘Ben's mother Christine is in full control of everything right now as he picks up the pieces from his broken marriage,' a…

LOOKING AROUND MY beautifully decorated flat in a fashionable part of London, I always feel an uncomfortable mix of emotions. Knowing it’s all mine, and I can afford the mortgage without renting out the spare room, makes me proud. It’s filled with glossy furniture, the latest gadgets and my wardrobes are bursting with designer clothes and bags. There are photos from holidays I’ve had in Bali and Hawaii, and pinned to the kitchen noticeboard is my booking for a spa break to Gleneagles in Scotland next month. I’ve worked hard for this amazing lifestyle, climbing the ranks at a global consultancy firm in the City. I earn £95,000 a year and hope to be taking home a six-figure salary before I’m 35. Yet, it’s all tempered with guilt because the…

A DECADENT DATE IN POLISHED PARIS VIVE McQUEEN! WHAT AnOther Magazine celebrates Alexander McQueen’s new store WHERE Le Divan du Monde, Paris WHO Sarah Burton, Jefferson Hack, Edie Campbell, Suki Waterhouse Sarah Burton and Jefferson Hack were hosts-with-the-most at the bohemian former theatre in Paris’s Pigalle district. And with thick carpets,velvet chaises longues and dapper busboys,the Decadence theme couldn’t have been more fitting. Shhh! WHICH ELIGIBLE STRAIGHT BACHELOR HAS A PENCHANT FOR KISSING HIS GAY MALE PALS AS A PARTY TRICK? GRAZIA LOVED The live set from Savages GRAZIA DRANK Bellinis and Appletinis KICKING BACK AT A FASHION SOIREE AND RURAL HOEDOWN COUNTRY HOUSE WHAT Ugg Classic Escape party WHERE Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire WHO Suki and Immy Waterhouse, Georgia May Jagger, Sigail Currie Thanks to the lovely folk at Ugg…

CANDELA NOVEMBRE Fendi’s colour-block leather skirt and loose white shirt strike the perfect balance – part slick power-dressing, part-unbuttoned slouchiness. A pair of hard-edged strappy Jimmy Choos and Fendi’s studded clutch bring a cool-girl toughness to Candela’s polished look. @candelanovembre DARIA SHAPOVALOVA The button-through denim dress takes a super-feminine turn with a laser-cut lace hem in Alberta Ferretti’s incarnation. A frothy white blouse and pair of glittery pink Prada sandals give dark denim a lift. @daria_shapovalova VERONIKA HEIL BRUNNER Etro’s graphic two-piece is ticking the ’70s, trouser suit and tile-print trend boxes all at once. A pair of Gucci suede clogs and a raffia mini-basket polish off this eclectic, en pointe mix. @veronikaheilbrunner Photos: Anthea Simms CHLOE NORGAARD Chloe nails off-duty model style in gently clashing bohemian embroidered separates from…

Digital operator Joe Stone at Republik Agency Lighting assistant James Donovan Fashion assistant Laura Grabiner assisted by Rachael Smith Hair Dirk Walther for Barnet Concept at Stella Creative Artists Make-up Julie Jacobs at One Represents using Sisley Paris Cosmetics Model Lily at M&P Boss 020 7259 1240 BottegaVeneta 020 7838 9394 Céline 020 7491 8200 Christopher Kane 020 7493 3111 CutlerAnd Gross cutlerandgross.com Equipment equipmentfr.com FRS For Restless Sleepers net-a-porter.com Gucci 020 7235 6707 Lanvin lanvin.com Marc Jacobs 020 7399 1690 Marks & Spencer marksandspencer.com Michael Kors Collection 020 7811 5940 Ryder & Hinks 01297 443304 Stella McCartney stellamccartney.com Theory net-a-porter.com Topshop topshop.com Wempe 020 7493 2299…

SWIM TECH Monitor your pool progress with the Speedo Misfit Shine SwimTracker, £59.99. It records your lap count, distance, calories and time, andyou can use it for walking, running and cycling, too. Designed to keep you snug pre- and post-workout, we won’t judge if you wear these fleecy pieces to watch Homeland on the sofa The fleece-lined Adidas Daybreaker Arctic Hoody, £75, is quite possibly the comfiest thing we've worn but manages to look chic, not slobby. Sweaty Betty Flex Run Pullover, £90, has a fleece collar to keep the chill off your neck and thumb-holes for toasty hands. The cool camo-print NikeTech Fleece Trousers, £70, are ideal for post-Pilates brunch - they've got Sunday staple stamped all over them. SERENITY IN A SPRAY Yogis will love Mio's new LiquidYoga…

NICOLE MOWBRAY Grazia’s acting assistant editor Set in New York’s hipster party scene, many of the players in this 700+ page novel dip in and out like guests. The story is told through the eyes of new graduate Jude St Francis (with friends Willem, Malcolm and JB taking lesser roles) as the unexpected realities of his life unfold. Top tip: if you want to keep track of the multitude of characters in A Little Life, keep a notebook at your side. LUCY DUNN Grazia’s associate editor This book manages to be relentlessly awful, heart-wrenchingly sad… yet totally compelling, staying with you hours after you’ve put it down. I’ve seen many A Little Life ‘huddle’ on Facebook, and you should read it with a friend, then help each other through the…

Photos:Wire Image AFTER PERFORMING her single Should’ve Been Us at this year’s VMAs, Tori became the most Shazamed artist of the night, and the fifth most discussed on Facebook (with strong competition from future US president Kanye West). How did she celebrate the biggest night of her career so far? ‘With an In-N-Out burger,’ she laughs when Grazia meets her in London days later. ‘I was exhausted.’ Grabbing an after-hours burger isn’t the first time Tori has flouted pop star convention. Her debut album of bouncy R&B pop, Unbreakable Smile, debuted at number two on the US Billboard chart – despite Tori’s refusal to court controversy like her contemporaries. The title track contains the lyric, ‘Maybe I can sell out shows without taking off my clothes’, inspired by a record…

BETTER TO KNOW I felt a lot of empathy for Nicole Mowbray (‘My heart could stop at any moment’, 12 October). I also have a heart condition that carries the potential of sudden death. In some ways I am lucky because I was diagnosed – but only after my sister died in her sleep, without warning, leaving two young children. This was devastating. The coroner’s report suggested family testing and I was the only one to be diagnosed. If only we had known before my sister died. It is remarkably common; the more you talk about it, the more you hear of these conditions and the number affected. I had an ICD fitted because I wanted to be there for my family. I have never had an episode or needed…