Sexpectations: Single and Thriving

Around 40 per cent of UK adults are single at any one time.

Far from being a transitional state between relationships, singledom offers freedom, self-discovery, and self-determination. However, there are challenges, both social and economic. How do you handle being ill alone? Who do you call if you’re stranded late at night? If you can’t find the right person to have a baby with, should you become a parent alone?

As part of our Sexpectations series, Nicola Slawson explores being un-partnered in a world designed for couples and how to find joy in the life you’re already living. Whether you’re newly single, long-term solo, reluctantly so, or just wondering what to say to your aunt when she asks if you’ll ever get married, this talk is a great starting point for celebrating the opportunities of being single.

Nicola Slawson is a freelance journalist, writer, and public speaker who has written about single life for The Independent, The i Paper, Refinery29, HuffPost, and Positive News. In 2020, she was named by The i Paper, alongside figures like Poorna Bell, Tracy Brabin, Africa Brooke, and Louise Minchin, as one of 14 women who have changed the conversation around issues affecting women.

Nicola’s book Single: Living a Complete Life on Your Own Terms came out on 13^th February 2025.