Table of contents for Issue 717 in Grazia

THE TREND: MIXED FLORALS HATTIE BRETT EDITOR With boots or sandals, there’s nothing easier to wear than a floral maxidress, so I was glad to see that the new-season spin is purposefully mixing them up. THE TREND: PASTELS REBECCA LOWTHORPE FASHION DIRECTOR I’m going for a soft sorbet palette this spring, but to avoid looking like a giant sickly sweet, I’ll be wearing with khaki, grey and off-white. THE TREND: UTILITY SOPHIE HENDERSON SHOPPING EDITOR Call me dull, but uber-practical pockets and easy-wearing fabrics are my 2019 mood. I’ll be polishing up my cargo pants with feminine tops, gold hardware and low heels. THE TREND: HANDCRAFT CHLOÉ MEDLEY CASTINGS & BOOKINGS ASSISTANT I can’t say I’ve ever used rope to hold my trousers up before… but I’ll give it a…

PHOTOS: ED MILES, GETTY, INSTAGRAM/TAYLORSWIFT YOU EVER heard of ‘Eveing’? Probably not, I only just THIS MINUTE christened it, though you’ll recognise the underlying concept once I explain. Eveing is that very female dynamic, in which one woman ingratiates herself into the affections, relationships and/or work of another, then tries to replace her. I’ve named it in honour of All About Eve , the 1950 film which has just reopened as a play starring Gillian Anderson and Lily James (plot spoiler: an ambitious fan endears herself to a revered older Broadway star, chips away at her friendships and sanity from within, then appropriates her status and success). And bloody hell! It’s weird . And bloody hell! It happens. Eve is the girl at school who loves everything you wear so…

HE WAS THE celebrity attendee who no one anticipated coming. When Brad Pitt arrived alone for Jennifer Aniston’s 50th birthday bash at LA’s Sunset Tower Hotel last week, wearing a baseball cap and flanked by a security guard, the A-list world let out a collective gasp of disbelief. Much of it came from inside the iconic West Hollywood venue, which was filled with a guest list that put the Oscars to shame. ‘There was a stunned silence in the lobby as Brad walked in,’ an onlooker told Grazia . ‘Both the A-listers and staff who clocked his arrival were left open-mouthed – it was a moment.’ Once inside, the gold-standard Hollywood party really began. ‘Jen was clearly buoyed by Brad’s presence. They hugged and chatted, before she was whisked off…

Family-friendly Sweden was the first country to introduce paid parental leave for dads in 1974. Currently, they offer new parents a system of up to 480 days’ leave – with subsidised pay – that can be transferred to the father. Uptake by fathers has soared in other countries, too, with around 91% of Icelandic couples now sharing parental leave. Leave for Icelandic parents is a total of nine months long – three months for the mother, three for the father, and the remaining three months to be split between them as they wish. Meanwhile in Portugal, 63% of dads take over the reins – the number of days new parents are entitled to is increased if the father chooses to take time off as well.…

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO, Lily Allen arrived on the music scene bursting with wit, authenticity and reggae beats – but more recently, her name is likely to prompt a conversation about her drug and alcohol abuse. In her recent best-selling memoir, My Thoughts Exactly, she disclosed that during her 2014 Sheezus tour, she paid a woman for sex and would ‘dive straight into the minibar’ each morning. And yet, last week, as she finished the last leg of her No Shame tour, she talked to Grazia of days spent hunting for artisanal coffee and how much she’s looking forward to reading This Is Going To Hurt, the diaries of junior doctor Adam Kay. So how’s her current relationship with her parents, film producer Alison Owen and actor Keith Allen? They don’t…

“I NEVER HAVE TO PUT ON A SHOW AT HOME – I CAN FEEL ALL MY FEELINGS” I THINK YOU CAN tell I live alone. I realised it recently, as I did my weekly shop on my Sainsbury’s app that includes the most bizarre choices that only a household of one would buy. (After a week I need to replenish my giant tub of Greek yogurt and jar of pickled walnuts.) There’s the WhatsApp group where I chat with my neighbours and do amateur sleuthing on local safety. I talk to myself. I listen to podcasts while I cook. I buy those miniature pots of baked beans for dinner. I am incredibly specific about the following: fresh flowers (little jars of ranunculi and roses in winter, hyacinths and tulips in…

THE CATWALK VIBE FOR UTILITY IS CAPTURED HERE IN THIS MULTITASK TOOL BELT – THE ULTIMATE IN PRACTICAL, HANDS-FREE BAGS HERE’S HOW TO MASTER MULTI-BAGGING, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW ONE BAG IS NEVER ENOUGH. WHO SAID MULTI-BRAGGING? ALL HAIL MIUCCIA PRADA FOR THE SURPRISE ACCESSORY HIT OF THE SEASON WHEN YOUR HAIRBAND IS THIS STATEMENT-MAKING THERE’S NO NEED FOR FURTHER EMBELLISHMENT THE CERTIFIED SPRING ‘IT’ SHOE IS THE KILLER-HEEL COURT PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS Tom Green, FistonManuella FASHIONASSISTANT LillianSesiguzel CASTINGS &BOOKINGS ASSISTANT Chloé Medley HAIR Keiichiro Hirano atLondon Style Agencyusing Bumble & bumbleMAKE-UP Kentaro Kondoat Eighteen Managementusing CHANEL Visiond’Asie: L’Art du Détailand CHANEL SublimageL’Essence FondamentaleMODELS Nayara atEstablished and NicaMestres at The Squad MAKE THEM DECADENT IN SUGARY SHADES OF SATIN…

PEARLY WHITES A WELL-POSITIONED PEARL CAN WORK WONDERS. ‘THE KEY IS TO PARE BACK MAKE-UP AND AVOID ANY FURTHER EMBELLISHMENT,’ SAYS MEL ARTER, MAKE-UP GURU AND CREATOR OF THESE LOOKS. GOLD STAR A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN, PAIR GILDED EYES AND EARRINGS. ‘THE WARMER YOUR SKIN’S UNDERTONE, THE RICHER THE GOLD CAN BE,’ SAYS MEL. ‘COOLER SKIN TONES SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM YELLOW AND ANTIQUE GOLDS AND GO FOR A TRUER, FAIR GOLD.’ POWER PINK THIS SEASON, NOBODY PUTS BLUSHER IN THE CORNER. ‘THERE IS AN OVERALL HARMONY WHEN PINK IS APPLIED TO CHEEKS, LIPS AND EYES,’ ADVISES MEL. ‘JUST MAKE SURE YOU BLEND THE CHEEK IN TO MAINTAIN A SOFTNESS.’ SILVER LININGS IF SILVER IS YOUR GO-TO METAL, INVEST IN SOME MATCHING MAKE-UP AND GET PLAYFUL WITH PLACEMENT. COPY…

SILVER Or rather, colloidal silver, is a smart skincare staple thanks to its ability to heal skin quickly and efficiently, fend off infection and bacteria (acne-causing and otherwise) and take down redness. ‘It’s a true ally to skin and it’s little known that it also works well against psoriasis, any itchy skin conditions and can be applied directly to compromised areas,’ says Berenice Clerc, product director of Officine Universelle Buly. BEST BUYS 1. Omorovicza’s Silver Skin Saviour mask, £65, is a mask with silver, niacinamide and salicylic acid to leave skin feeling fresh. 2. L’Officine Universelle Buly True Ionised Cleansing Water, £23, combines silver and gold to form a cleansing lotion ideal for even the most irritated skin. 3. Allies of Skin Promise Keeper Blemish Sleeping Facial, £110, tackles spots…

MOZZARELLA AND ROASTED BLACK GRAPE SALAD Serves 2 INGREDIENTS Small bunch of seedless black grapes Small bunch of thyme Drizzle of olive oil, plus extra for frying 1 slice of Parma ham, roughly torn Small handful of salad leaves 1 buffalo mozzarella ball 50g roasted hazelnuts 1 red chilli, sliced Pinch of smoked sea salt (optional) Drizzle of peppery extra virgin olive oil Drizzle of good-quality balsamic vinegar A few basil leaves A few edible flowers (optional) Salt and pepper METHOD 1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan200°C/Gas Mark 7 and line a baking tray with baking paper or foil. 2 Pull the grapes off the stems and place on the baking tray with the thyme. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes,…

ROBYN IS A PR at the type of swishy London firm that keeps dirty celebrities clean and powders off their profile with some edge when they’re too straight. She’s a high-flying account executive. Explaining the industry to Melody, her poor beleaguered intern, she says, ‘Just assume that everybody is lying.’ The PR gig is filled with subterfuge, neuroses, glamour, deception, scandal, sex, narcotics and even occasionally crime. Yet it’s a world that is only rarely foraged for TV, perhaps because PRs are conduits to the stars, so not stars themselves. Furthermore, since Jennifer Saunders mined its ludicrous outer reaches to dazzling effect with Absolutely Fabulous everyone thought, why bother? A whole generation has passed since Ab Fab. The PR kingdom is no longer drowning in Lacroix, liposuction and Lulu. It’s…

On The Come Up Angie Thomas (£7.99, WALKER BOOKS) TheHateUGive was one of last year’s most important and electrifying reads, and this follow-up – an homage to hip-hop– is just as punchy – and relevant. An aspiring rapper hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons, but has a viral hit on her hands nonetheless. All that is between her and poverty – and her sense of self – is her skill. Adèle Leïla Slimani (£12.99, FABER & FABER) Adèle is a journalist addicted to dangerous sex with anyone but her husband. She is bored at work, unsatisfied as a mother and only feels free – or at least alive – during these bursts of clandestine, semi-anonymous sex. An intriguing and almost ridiculously French read about female desire. Graceland Bethan…

GET THE BALANCE RIGHT While I love that the pages of Grazia offer a helping of feminism alongside fashion and beauty, I can’t help but feel that the portrayal of working mums has been unbalanced recently. I’ve read two articles about women who have had to give up working full-time to care for their children and another about how working mums are 40% more stressed out than the rest of the population (11 Feb). Surely there are mums out there who work full-time and are happy. And surely you can print articles about these women in an effort to inspire more mums to continue to pursue a career after having children. Ellen THANK YOU FOR NOTICING Thank you Polly and Grazia for taking a stand for us – someone is…

Is there anything more thrilling than the idea of packing away your coats and cashmere in favour of silk dresses and pastels? While we might not be there just yet (thanks, British weather), in our Big Fashion Issue we’ve trawled the shops to find the best pieces to buy now and wear for months, no years , to come. In fact, we’ve made it our mission to help you find something you’ll love for a lifetime. Because, as demonstrated by all the experts we’ve spoken to for this week’s issue – from the queens of vintage-buying to the creative director of legendary fashion house Dior – there’s nothing better than finding a unique purchase you’ll wear forever. Now go find yours……

Hattie Crisell, 35, is on terms ranging from ‘polite grownups’ to ‘proper mates’ with several previous boyfriends, and says that staying friends with an ex can be genuinely worthwhile. Here’s how it works: 1. Give it time. You need to get to a more nonchalant place, in which her making a joke about your tardiness/ you making a casual reference to your new boyfriend/him deciding to grow the beard you always suggested won’t cause either of you to run sobbing from the room. 2. Be ready to let a lot of stuff go. Yes, it’s still annoying that your ex arrives late, shows off when they’re feeling insecure and never asks anything about your job. Thankfully, these problems are not yours any more. Concentrate on enjoying their better qualities instead.…

AFTER QUIETLY DATING for two years, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn finally made their relationship public at the BAFTAs last week. Despite giving the red carpet and the awards ceremony a miss, Taylor joined Joe at the official dinner to celebrate his BAFTA success. (Joe starred as Emma Stone’s on-screen husband in The Favourite, which picked up an impressive seven awards.) While Grazia chatted to Joe about working with Olivia Colman (‘She was amazing,’ he gushed), Taylor appeared and gave him a congratulatory squeeze. ‘I was watching the show from home,’ she told us. ‘Every time The Favourite won another award, I was just squealing! I couldn’t believe it,’ she continued. ‘It’s so great for him – and it’s his first time coming to the BAFTAs, so it’s exciting. It’s…

THERE’S A MOMENT IN A Private War , the biopic of the late journalist Marie Colvin, that her sister Cat finds particularly difficult. Marie – whose rakish eye-patch became her trademark after she was injured by a grenade in Sri Lanka – receives a sparkly version crafted by a friend’s child. ‘My daughter made her one of those,’ says Cat. ‘All the girls in our family would make little eye-patches out of paper. That detail… it’s very emotional to watch.’ The new film, which stars Rosamund Pike, captures the unique bravery of the war correspondent, who was killed aged 56 while reporting from Homs in Syria in February 2012. Her passionate mission to uncover the impact of conflicts on ordinary people led her to take extraordinary risks in areas other…

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES, YOUNGJUNKOO/LICKERISH. J SHEEKEY: J-SHEEKEY.CO.UK.. KHAITE: KHAITE.COM. MULBERRY:MULBERRY.COM. STEPHEN JONES HATS AT HE ROYAL PAVILION UNTIL 9 JUNE Swoon over Khaite’s new luggage line, including sleek leather totes and clutches. #OldCéline bagdrobe gap: filled. Get a head for hats. The Stephen Jones retrospective at Brighton’s Royal Pavilion is your inspiration destination. Book a table at J Sheekey and order oysters. Erdem has designed a new platter for London’s chicest restaurant. Get to know Harris Reed, Francis de Larra and Marta Ferri, the talent being championed by Matchesfashion.com’s latest instalment of The Innovators. Be shady. Mulberry’s new sunglasses collection is set to be a FROW essential. Look to the art set for major style inspo. Frieze LA is essential viewing.…

1. EARTH-TONED BLAZER S/S ’19’S HERO HUE? BROWN IN ALL ITS GUISES. BEST WORN IN A BLAZER, PAIRED WITH TONAL SHADES. 2. LONG SHORTS THE BERMUDA IS BACK! GO LOOSE & TO THE KNEE. STYLE WITH LONGLINE BLAZERS OR CHUNKY KNITS. 3. PRINTED MIDAXI THE PERENNIAL FLORAL TREND’S NEW SPIN IS ALL IN THE CLASH. TIE-DYE, POLKA DOT & OPPOSING PRETTY PRINTS ARE THE WAYTOGONOW. 4. SARONG SKIRT THESE HAVE BROKEN OUT OF BEACH TERRITORY INTO THEEVERYDAY SKIRT SHAPE. ADD SHARP SHIRTING TO MAKE OFFICE-APPROPRIATE. 5. PEEKASHOE PANTS THE NEW SMART TROUSER SHAPE INCLUDES A FRONT SPLIT, PERFECT FOR PARADING FAVOURITE FOOTWEAR – FROM BOOTS TO BIRKIES. 6. CARGO PANTS EMBRACE HEAVY-DUTY TROUSERS. FUNDAMENTALLY PRACTICAL IN SOFT SHADES OF KHAKI & BEIGE – THE PERFECT UPDATE TO THAT JEANS &…

TOTAL TERRAZZO With sustainability a design buzzword, the material of the moment is terrazzo, a colourful spin on concrete. ‘With a significant interest in recycling and upcycling, many newer materials are proudly showing that they are made from “second-hand” plastic, showing lots of large flecks of colour, such as scaled up terrazzo,’ says Laure Grezard, senior designer at made.com. As well as monochrome pieces, at Habitat they’ve also taken inspiration from the 1970s Miami movement for a cheery vibe. The look has also been used in soft furnishings for a shot of colour. BLANKET FINISH Don’t waste blankets on your bed – hang them up instead. ‘We’re embracing textiles as well as hanging other artefacts on our walls to adorn them, which I think is influenced by the move towards…

PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK, INSTAGRAM/PRIDEOFGYPSIES 1. NON-MOVER MICHELLE OBAMA AT THE GRAMMYS There is a fine art to being able to tip up to any occasion and make it considerably better by dint of your presence alone. 2. NEW IN EMILIA CLARKE FT JASON MOMOA Two of our GoT faves will host the Oscars, in the wake of about 17 other people being fired from the role for doing bad things. We’re happy: they’re pretty. 3. UP HANSON, ALL GROWN UP As debuted on Lorraine Kelly’s show last week. Last seen looking very young and not nearly this good, while singing MMMBop, in the ’90s. As The Sun remarked: ‘Mmm hot’. 4. UP KENNETH THE PAGE While rewatching 30 Rock (All 4), our love for K the P has reignited; we’re…

BAMBI LASHES At Brandon Maxwell, make-up maestro Tom Pecheux layered lashings of mascara with falsies for an OTT doe-eye. THE BIG SMOKE Forget a cut crease, enhance your eyes with a smudgy smoke à la Jeremy Scott. PERFECT PAIRING Rodarte matched eyelids, lips and nails with punchy pink and red glitter. DAZZLE DOTS A well-placed pearl or stone can bring out your features – note Christian Siriano’s crystal freckles, or the pearly eyes at Adeam. HEAD GEAR Hair was dressed up for the Grammys and the catwalk followed, with fresh flowers woven into wavy hair at Rodarte. PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK, JASON LLOYD-EVANS…

BEFORE MY DAUGHTER Freda was born, I didn’t sing in public. A week into shared parental leave I was belting out The Wheels On The Bus in assorted church halls, cafés and even on the bus itself. I had planned to look after Freda for a few months on my own long before she arrived. I wanted to be a hands-on dad, and to share the childcare fairly with my wife. Working mums are entitled to 52 weeks off, and shared parental leave, introduced in 2015, allows mums to transfer all but the first two weeks to the dad – if they want to. My wife Harriet and I decided that she would do the first 10 months at home, then I would cover the last two. The uptake of…

PHOTOS:FRENCHY STYLE/BLAULUT-EDITION.COM,ACIELLE/STYLEDUMONDE.COM,DANIEL ZUCHNIK/DANIEL-EDWARD.COM FASHION SEASON is upon us, and our Instagram feeds are currently being flooded with the most captivating looks from the streets and the catwalk. But when every day is a photo op, how to decide what to wear? We asked some street-style veterans about their favourite pavement-pounding outfit to date, and the key pieces they’re buying for S/S ’19.…

AS EACH DRAMATIC twist and turn of Meghan and Thomas Markle’s journey into estrangement is revealed, a new audience is beginning to understand the painful reality of some family relationships. They’re the ones that don’t look like fuzzy, festive television adverts: caring families gathered around joyful dinner tables. Instead, they’re characterised by conflict and pain. As the founder of the family estrangement charity Stand Alone, I have often been asked for my view on the duchess’s situation. I respond by saying that for many thousands of us, perhaps millions of us, the turmoil that Meghan faces isn’t unfamiliar. It is the everyday reality of our own families, amplified and publicised. Even before Meghan married into the royal family, her father and distant relatives were giving interviews to the tabloids. When…

HAS THERE EVER been such a sartorial showdown between two awards ceremonies like that of the recent BAFTA and Grammys? The BAFTA army was distinct in its refinement, with a seamless display of red-carpet stalwarts promoting the ‘right’ designers on the front line: the woman designer (Roksanda); the feminist (Dior); the new carpet contenders (Christopher Kane and Burberry). It was poised, prepared and confident in battle. Over in the rebel camp, however, fashion came out kicking and screaming in pursuit of the best-dressed prize. The Grammys were where Dua Lipa wore a safety-pinned slashed Versace dress, while Cardi B emerged like a mermaid from an archive 1995 Mugler gown. The Grammys gang was as fearless as the BAFTAs was careful – where the Duchess of Cambridge wore McQueen, Lady Gaga…

Cathy Otten, 31, lived in Iraqi Kurdistan from 2013 to 2017 and reported for The Independent on the  war with ISIS. She is author of With Ash On Their Faces: Yezidi Women And The Islamic State. ‘I moved to Iraqi Kurdistan to cover what was then a post-conflict story. But a year later, in 2014, the city of Mosul fell to ISIS and the reporting I was doing changed dramatically. The Kurdish Peshmerga – the military forces – had a 1,000km front line with ISIS. Much of the reporting was dangerous but it was always much worse for the civilians caught up in it. I tried to focus my work on their lives and experiences. In 2016 and 2017 I covered the Mosul battle. Civilians were…

IT FELT LIKE my mum was dying for about 10 years – probably because long before she died, she had already given up on living. For me it was a painful, grief-stricken period during which I freaked out every time the phone rang, wondering if this would be the call to tell me she was gone. My dad had left us when I was 18 months old, and my mother had been consumed with an eating disorder since the age of 15. She just about functioned with it, but bulimia had starved her brain and her mental health had deteriorated; she self-medicated with alcohol. Mum desperately wanted to be loved – but her addiction made it so very hard. She was volatile and aggressive; depending on how much she drank,…

PHOTOGRAPHS ALEX BRAMALL FASHION NATALIE WANSBROUGH-JONES ‘I AM JUST ME, Maria Grazia. I am not so obsessed with the idea that I am a woman designer.’ So says the frst woman to ascend to the top of one of the world’s greatest luxury fashion houses, Christian Dior. Maria Grazia Chiuri might not be obsessed with the idea that she is a woman, designing for women, in a system that often seems to look more favourably on the efforts of men. Or that she is one of the few female designers working in a mostly male-driven corporate fashion world. Or that she is the only female designer to have branded luxury fashion with slogans from feminist literature, at a time when the female gaze has never felt more important. Not obsessed?…

PHOTOGRAPHS PAUL FARRELL FASHION FENELLA WEBB ANIMAL INSTINCT Go full safari and coordinate khaki with graphic zebra print. SUITS YOU Renew your light linen suit with a surprising touch of tie-dye. TRACK AND FIELD Recharge your track pants by wearing them with cool camel and pink. IN THE BRO WNIES Layer chocolate tones together for an unexpected take on tailoring. PERFECT PAIRING Tackle tone-on-tone dressing by mixing blush hues with luxy leather. KNIT HIT A textured sweater helps tough utility tailoring feel relaxed. GOOD SPORT Smarten up your sporty pieces with smart city checks. STYLE IT UP Avoid bulky sleeves by layering a knitted sweater vest over shirting . COOL CORAL XL sleeves give silky shirts a luxury feel – pair with split-hem pants in sorbet shades. DO THE DOUBLE…

Style personality: Ladylike Prim, proper and put-together is the premise behind ladylike dressing and is exactly what Gucci’s Alchemist Collection The Virgin Violet EDP, £240 for 100ml, conjures up. The first hit of sweet violet leaves and iris petals soon dry down to creamy vanilla. Think graceful, confident and grown-up. Style personality: Vintage eclectic Tom Ford’s Beau de Jour, £162 for 50ml, is not for the faint-hearted, with a daringly quirky mix of lavender, cardamom, oakmoss and basil. But trust us, it works. And just like that vintage tailored shirt and denim combo, this floral-earthy-eclectic scent turns heads. Style personality: Utility chic Add to your low-key aesthetic with Clean Reserve Solar Bloom EDP, £88 for 100ml – a warming, androgynous, slightly earthy scent that offsets sweet coconut water with charcoal…

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/DENNISSHMELZ VIEW POINT Bohinj Municipality, Slovenia Drive on from Lake Bled in northwest Slovenia, near the border with Austria, and views of deep turquoise blue water give way to those of forested mountains, soft-green fields and Gothic-style churches, their steeples standing out against the sky. Whether perched on a hill, down by the water’s edge or in the heart of a small village, these churches are an often-spied feature of this once off-the-beaten-track destination that’s now very much on the radar.…

You Know You Want This Kristen Roupenian (£12.99, JONATHAN CAPE) This is the much anticipated first collection of stories from the author of last year’s viral sensation Cat Person. Looking at modern gender and power dynamics, these uncomfortable tales are frequently (understandably) dark – and sometimes horrific – but equally often there is sheer relief at hearing someone brilliantly articulate those itchy-scratchy ‘Is it just me?’ irritations and neuroses. From a self-proclaimed ‘biter’ to the nameless, naked man, this may not be an easy read, but it’s an original one.…

David Tennant Does a Podcast The Scots actor talks to some of the biggest names in film, comedy and TV. Don’t miss his first guest: the Oscar-nominated actress Olivia Colman. How To Fail Elizabeth Day’s brilliant podcast is back. Listen to Raven Smith talk about ‘failing to be straight’ and Lily Allen discuss her politics, body image and marital breakdown. The New York Times podcast Need your fix of US news? Michael Barbaro and various experts discuss the stories of the day in an analytical and digestible format. DOWNLOAD THE GRAZIA LIFE ADVICE PODCAST FOR BRILLIANT ADVICE FROM WOMEN WORTH LISTENING TO BOOKS: ALEXANDRA HEMINSLEY. PODCASTS: HARRIET KEAN.PHOTO: GETTY…

THE LEGACY OF ABUSE I read ‘I’m proof domestic abuse doesn’t have a type’ (4 Feb) with emotion. I’ve been through emotional abuse, but my experience was different in that I worried that my quiet, gentle personality was perhaps a reason why I found myself in that place. I didn’t stay in the situation long, I walked away from a relationship that appeared to have so much promise, but was so unhealthy and painful. But it took me time to truly accept that it wasn’t my fault. I still carry the scars of that relationship with me, it has coloured my view of the world and men. But it taught me a lot about myself. I hope we do all remember that domestic abuse doesn’t have a type because, sadly,…

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGINE WAKING every morning to a barrage of racist abuse on social media, or needing police protection for a work event because trolls threaten you’ll ‘get it like Jo Cox’. This is what Luciana Berger, Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, has had to put up with for years. Because Luciana is a female, Jewish, outspoken critic of Labour’s handling of anti-Semitism allegations, she’s considered fair game by some pro-Corbynites in the darkest corners of the internet. Now imagine having to put up with this while heavily pregnant. Last week, members of Luciana’s local party branch tried to table a meeting for a vote of no confidence in an alleged attempt to drive her out (it was scrapped after a backlash). As fellow Jewish Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge…