15/10/2026
A beautiful full-circle moment. 🇬🇾💜
Back in July, I attended the Frome Festival Publishing Fair with my book, Riding the Waves, tucked safely under my arm - not really. It was in my bag 😊.
It was there that I met Tina, the lovely manager of Winstone's Hunting Raven Books in Frome.
We spoke briefly about the book, why I wrote it, and the importance of creating space for the menopause experiences of Guyanese, Caribbean and Indigenous women. Tina kindly said she would be happy to have it listed in her bookshop.
Today, I returned to see her, and she gladly welcomed Riding the Waves onto the shelves.
Seeing my book sitting proudly in the Women’s Health section, surrounded by so many established titles, was a real proud moment. A moment I will never forget.
And what makes it even more special is the timing. During Black History Month, and just as we approach World Menopause Day on Sunday 18 October, a book written by a Guyanese woman, rooted in culture, lived experience, nourishment and holistic wellbeing, is now visible in an independent bookshop in Frome.
For so long, so many of our women have navigated perimenopause and menopause quietly, without the language, information or representation that truly reflects us. I wrote this book so that our stories, our wisdom and our health matter in the conversation too.
Today felt like a reminder that our voices belong on the bookshelf, in the wellbeing space and in the wider conversation.
Thank you, Tina, for your warm welcome and for helping me capture this very special moment.
De book ah look nice-nice, pun da shelf 😁 🌊💜
Riding the Waves: A Holistic Perimenopause & Menopause Guide for Guyanese, Caribbean and Indigenous Women
By Mahalia Arjoon-Purchase
