Welcome To Gode

Founded by Gillian Anderson, G Ode is a space to connect with ourselves and each other through the power of story.

Ode (n): A lyrical address to a particular subject.

We believe that the best stories not only move us but can fundamentally change us and how we interact with the world in which we live.

So, we are building G Ode as a space for our members to stimulate their curiosity and spark their own creativity by engaging more consciously with those stories - whether they appear as written word, film, illustration, music or any other form of expression.

As well as simply enjoying each work for what it is, we will, over time, go beyond reading, watching or being entertained. There will be opportunities to explore, reflect, be inspired and inspire, to think freely - because it’s through each creative act, we evolve our own story.

But this story is still a work in progress.

Right now, you're joining us in beta mode - the prologue, as it were - as we set the scene for everything that will happen from here on in.

Along with provoking thought and inviting your responses to the work we feature, we'll be looking to you - our community - to play a lead role in shaping every act as it unfolds.

Editor’s letter

Join the conversation

Issue.01

FREEDOM of FANTASY

In a world bound by expectation, can imagination liberate us? What happens when you enter a space where you are free to explore the exhilarating, the illicit, the long forgotten and the yet-to-be-discovered: Every side of who you are when you’re truly free to be.

Issue.01

Freedom of Fantasy

In a fantasy we don’t need anyone’s permission other than our own.

-Gillian Anderson

Fantasy can be fun, exciting, naughty - but can it be more? In the first issue of G Ode, we're exploring where fantasy can take us when it's liberated from social norms or self-imposed constraints. We'll not only be investigating the places the mind wanders in private moments, but how sexual fantasy manifests in different communities around the world, its relationship with reality, and whether it's purely a quirk of instinct or a useful skill we can learn.

We'll be sharing contributions from experts, philosophers and friends, but - as is our intent for the whole of G Ode - we'll invite your participation as well. Of course, you'll be under no pressure to share anything with anyone. But we'll be here to prompt reflection and provoke thought, all in service of setting your own fantasies free.

The power of sexual fantasy

In this article, we discuss, debate and plot with two of the UK's leading psychotherapists, Lohani Noor, Founding Director of ThIRST, The Institute for Relational and Sexual Therapies and Diane Hassall an integrative psychotherapist, specialising in relationship and psychosexual therapy, to explore the role of fantasy in our lives. And in doing so, we uncover how consciously embracing this most basic of instincts can be a superpower - if we take the time to understand it.

15 mins with Emerald Fennell

A quickfire interview with the groundbreaking, Oscar-winning director, writer and actress. Read more for Emerald’s take on desire, fantasy and more...

15 mins with Cindy Gallop

A quickfire interview with Cindy Gallop, the force of nature behind the platform MakeLoveNotPorn - revolutionising sex education and promoting positive, real-world approaches to intimacy.

Out & About

G Ode had the privilege of attending an incredible panel discussion ‘In Sex, Education Matters’ with Cindy Gallop’s @makelovenotporn, hosted by the brilliant Emma Lousie Boyton, alongside Jameela Jamil and Freddie Feltham.

Spotlight on India — Fantasy as a force for change

We spoke to two leading voices of sexual expression in the country - sex educator and founder of intimate care brand Leezu's, Leeza Mangaldas; and Creative Director of culture, fashion and art magazine Dirty, Kshitij Kankaria.

15 mins with Poppy Jay

A quickfire interview with one half of the candid team behind the award-winning podcast ‘Brown Girls Do It Too’. We get Poppy’s take on current attitudes toward fantasy, sex and the South Asian community in particular, after five series of leading the conversation in mainstream media.

The BIG read

The instant No.1 Sunday Times bestseller

“It feels like a compilation anthropologically of women from all corners of the earth.”

"What’s interesting about the book is that even though it’s anonymous, the women who wrote in speak about feeling freer in getting to write it down, that somehow they feel seen and heard in what their desires are and also women who are reading the book are saying that because they’re reading other women’s thoughts and experiences, they feel that they are represented on the page. It’s not just about the bedroom, it’s about women thinking about what it is they actually want in their lives.”

— Gillian Anderson