From ABBA to Anal: What the hell is this, anyway?

A woman with wavy brown hair, wearing a pink turtleneck top, checkered pants, and pink high heels, lying on the floor with her legs raised against the wall, talking on a black rotary telephone placed on the floor next to her.

Alison and Julia are two old friends with a lot of miles between them - and even more stories to tell.
They met in 1989 as part of the cabin crew team at Air Europe, flying out of London Gatwick airport. From the moment they clicked, it was clear: kindred spirits, matching senses of humour, and a shared childhood obsession with ABBA.

They had unforgettable adventures in the skies… and then lost touch for over thirty years.
Life - in its chaotic, wonderful way - brought them back together. And what they’ve found is that the connection runs even deeper now.

It all started with a long, chatty phone call that ended with Alison joking, “One day we’ll end up writing a book about this.”
Julia - quick as ever - shot back, “Yeah! It’ll be called From ABBA to Anal.”
And just like that, a spark was lit. Alison had a shower “highdea” which sealed the deal, and the alphabet project was born.

Each fortnight, they alternately pick a single word - starting with A, and working their way through. One of them chooses it. Both of them write.

Then they read their pieces aloud to each other, via a weekly telephone call.

Sometimes it’s hilarious.
Sometimes it’s raw.
Sometimes it’s absolutely filthy.
But it’s always honest.

What you’ll find here are Alison’s stories - soulful, surprising, sometimes smutty, always real. Julia’s still caught in the corporate sands of Dubai, but her fingerprints are all over the concept. The stories are marked clearly as part of the From ABBA to Anal series.

Together, they’re a detour through the wild terrain of girlhood, womanhood, memory, sex, longing, shame, joy… and the things we never used to say out loud.

Until now.