Rowan Pelling

The mystery of female desire deepens

When Gillian Anderson appealed to women to send her their sexual fantasies, she guaranteed strict anonymity – prompting a ‘torrent of unbridled passion from across the world’

Gillian Anderson, the editor of the collection and an object of fantasy herself. [Getty Images] 
issue 28 September 2024

Rowan Pelling has narrated this article for you to listen to.

Sexual fantasies, that dream you had last night, and ideas for novels have one thing in common: generally the best place for them is inside your head, never to be divulged. Until now, the major exception to the rule was Nancy Friday’s 1973 compilation of women’s fantasies, My Secret Garden, which sold more than two million copies worldwide.

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