Gillian Anderson on Female Desire and Defying Ageism in More
Gillian Anderson has published her second collection of women’s sexual fantasies, titled More, following the release of her 2024 book Want. Published by Penguin Random House, the new volume features anonymous submissions from women around the world, alongside a personal fantasy contributed by Anderson herself, who aims to dismantle shame and challenge cultural attitudes toward aging and female sexuality.
The Creative Roots in Television and Personal Reticence
The genesis of Anderson’s foray into editing sexual fantasy collections stems in part from her work on the television series Sex Education. Reflecting on her openness to the subject, Anderson noted that writing her own contributions revealed unexpected moments of hesitation, prompting her to set aside her own reticence to champion a non-judgmental platform for women’s voices.
Global Voices and the Lived Experience of Women Over Forty
Letters published in More come from a diverse group of contributors. Many submissions originate from women who feel they are only beginning to fully claim their sexuality, sensual expression, and desire for intimacy. Other notable entries arrive from women over the age of 40 who write about sex with a directness forged through lived experience.
Confronting the Commercial Machinery of Eternal Youth
At 58 years old, Anderson has become a vocal critic of ageism, maintaining that life and intimacy do not diminish for women as they age. Discussing the societal pressures surrounding aging, Anderson pointed to the pervasive pursuit of eternal youth as cultural forces that frame growing older as something to flee.
Dealing With Invisibility and Intergenerational Judgments
Addressing the broader cultural narrative of invisibility that older women often face, Anderson remarked on the role of younger generations in perpetuating these judgments, emphasizing that cultural shifts require broad participation to alter how older women are perceived in both public life and private spaces.
Explicit Desires and Defending Autonomy in Print
Among the submissions in More, several letters from women over 40 openly detail preferences regarding physical traits such as penise size. When asked about this explicit framing, Anderson defended the right of women to express these preferences freely, drawing a comparison to the long-standing societal normalization of men evaluating women’s bodies.