Sarah Manavis
@sarahmanavis.bsky.social
American writer for the Observer / TELL ME ABOUT MYSELF on the rise and impact of psychotherapy is out in 2027
sarahmanavis.com / she/her
sarahmanavis.com / she/her
Sharing this five days late but after being galled by Jia Tolentino's sponcon I started a Substack and wrote about it, which you can find (free) here! If you like this/my work generally please subscribe for what will soon be more regular stuff
sarahmanavis.substack.com/p/playing-du...
sarahmanavis.substack.com/p/playing-du...
Playing dumb: on the price of our integrity
We should be sceptical – if not wary – of "anti-capitalist" figures who bend to a corporate paycheck
sarahmanavis.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Sharing this five days late but after being galled by Jia Tolentino's sponcon I started a Substack and wrote about it, which you can find (free) here! If you like this/my work generally please subscribe for what will soon be more regular stuff
sarahmanavis.substack.com/p/playing-du...
sarahmanavis.substack.com/p/playing-du...
Reposted by Sarah Manavis
Good news! @sarahmanavis.bsky.social has joined Substack, better but much less surprising news, her first piece is excellent open.substack.com/pub/sarahman...
Playing dumb: on the price of our integrity
We should be sceptical – if not wary – of "anti-capitalist" figures who bend to a corporate paycheck
open.substack.com
October 16, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Good news! @sarahmanavis.bsky.social has joined Substack, better but much less surprising news, her first piece is excellent open.substack.com/pub/sarahman...
I have long been sceptical of her politics even though I often like her writing, but Jia Tolentino breaking her "RIGID personal sponcon ban" to do a collab with Airbnb – one of the main targets on the BDS list; when her last post was about fasting for Gaza – does feel a little on the nose
October 16, 2025 at 9:09 AM
I have long been sceptical of her politics even though I often like her writing, but Jia Tolentino breaking her "RIGID personal sponcon ban" to do a collab with Airbnb – one of the main targets on the BDS list; when her last post was about fasting for Gaza – does feel a little on the nose
I wrote about what we want from our relationships – in dating, monogamy, even friendship – and the growing number of people not actually seeking real connections, but instead someone to playact a fantasy they learned online: observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
July 15, 2025 at 1:42 PM
I wrote about what we want from our relationships – in dating, monogamy, even friendship – and the growing number of people not actually seeking real connections, but instead someone to playact a fantasy they learned online: observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
There’s a real problem of low-hanging fruit in criticism atm where people keep doing “spicy” “takedowns” of art/people with no real power or relevance - or that no one even considers good. Critique should tell you something new or different, not go: “That bad thing? Well… it sucks!!!”
July 3, 2025 at 2:52 PM
There’s a real problem of low-hanging fruit in criticism atm where people keep doing “spicy” “takedowns” of art/people with no real power or relevance - or that no one even considers good. Critique should tell you something new or different, not go: “That bad thing? Well… it sucks!!!”
Some thrilling news from me: my debut book TELL ME ABOUT MYSELF, about the rise and impact of psychotherapy on how we see ourselves and each other, as well as my own experience in therapy over the last 20 years, will be published by HarperCollins in 2027 www.thebookseller.com/rights/harpe...
June 17, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Some thrilling news from me: my debut book TELL ME ABOUT MYSELF, about the rise and impact of psychotherapy on how we see ourselves and each other, as well as my own experience in therapy over the last 20 years, will be published by HarperCollins in 2027 www.thebookseller.com/rights/harpe...
Some exciting, slightly belated news from me: as of this week I’ve joined the Observer where I’ll be writing across opinion, the magazine and on the new website - alongside some of my favourite editors and journalists. More soon but catch me there from this weekend!
May 8, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Some exciting, slightly belated news from me: as of this week I’ve joined the Observer where I’ll be writing across opinion, the magazine and on the new website - alongside some of my favourite editors and journalists. More soon but catch me there from this weekend!
Hello: I'm going to be on 5 Live this morning with Adrian Chiles from 11-12 – talking about Donald Trump, Jeffrey Goldberg, the spring statement and scatter cushions. Tune in!
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
March 28, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Hello: I'm going to be on 5 Live this morning with Adrian Chiles from 11-12 – talking about Donald Trump, Jeffrey Goldberg, the spring statement and scatter cushions. Tune in!
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Something about the Atlantic editor getting added to the war planning group chat thing feels very British
March 25, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Something about the Atlantic editor getting added to the war planning group chat thing feels very British
I really want to like this site, but every time I log on I feel like I've entered a simulation of the worst parts of UK politics Twitter in 2016
March 19, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I really want to like this site, but every time I log on I feel like I've entered a simulation of the worst parts of UK politics Twitter in 2016
Muting this bc the some of the replies are more insane than the ones I've gotten on Twitter, but I want to emphasise this desire to avoid calling misogyny misogyny atm – which I think is partially an overcorrection on the left in response to the last decade of pop culture, but also is... misogyny!
People keep sharing this Sam Fender quote from the Sunday Times and while I think there is something in this – it feels bizarre that, in the midst of what is fundamentally a backlash against feminism + LGBT rights, everyone is so eager to dance around the obvious answer, which is primarily misogyny
February 25, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Muting this bc the some of the replies are more insane than the ones I've gotten on Twitter, but I want to emphasise this desire to avoid calling misogyny misogyny atm – which I think is partially an overcorrection on the left in response to the last decade of pop culture, but also is... misogyny!
People keep sharing this Sam Fender quote from the Sunday Times and while I think there is something in this – it feels bizarre that, in the midst of what is fundamentally a backlash against feminism + LGBT rights, everyone is so eager to dance around the obvious answer, which is primarily misogyny
February 24, 2025 at 4:50 PM
People keep sharing this Sam Fender quote from the Sunday Times and while I think there is something in this – it feels bizarre that, in the midst of what is fundamentally a backlash against feminism + LGBT rights, everyone is so eager to dance around the obvious answer, which is primarily misogyny
Next week! I’m excited to be interviewing Shon Faye for Topping Books Edinburgh about her very brilliant new book Love In Exile. February 13 @ 7pm! Tickets available here: toppingbooks.co.uk/events/edinb...
The Transgender Issue's Shon Faye for Love in Exile at St Cuthbert's Church
toppingbooks.co.uk
February 5, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Next week! I’m excited to be interviewing Shon Faye for Topping Books Edinburgh about her very brilliant new book Love In Exile. February 13 @ 7pm! Tickets available here: toppingbooks.co.uk/events/edinb...
Reposted by Sarah Manavis
I wrote about the philosophy of James Watt, the entrepreneur and former BrewDog CEO, and how thin his (self-conceived) reputation as a wellbeing champion has always been – and how long he has advocated for prioritising selfishness and self-preservation www.newstatesman.com/business/202...
The empty philosophy of BrewDog’s James Watts
“Be a selfish bastard” counts among the entrepreneur’s maxims.
www.newstatesman.com
January 27, 2025 at 2:38 PM
I wrote about the philosophy of James Watt, the entrepreneur and former BrewDog CEO, and how thin his (self-conceived) reputation as a wellbeing champion has always been – and how long he has advocated for prioritising selfishness and self-preservation www.newstatesman.com/business/202...
I wrote about the philosophy of James Watt, the entrepreneur and former BrewDog CEO, and how thin his (self-conceived) reputation as a wellbeing champion has always been – and how long he has advocated for prioritising selfishness and self-preservation www.newstatesman.com/business/202...
The empty philosophy of BrewDog’s James Watts
“Be a selfish bastard” counts among the entrepreneur’s maxims.
www.newstatesman.com
January 27, 2025 at 2:38 PM
I wrote about the philosophy of James Watt, the entrepreneur and former BrewDog CEO, and how thin his (self-conceived) reputation as a wellbeing champion has always been – and how long he has advocated for prioritising selfishness and self-preservation www.newstatesman.com/business/202...
Reposted by Sarah Manavis
Not the most important part here but the "DOGE" aspect does also affirm we're entering an era where the worst people you know will constantly be dropping the cry laughing emoji about the least funny shit you ever seen
November 13, 2024 at 10:35 AM
Not the most important part here but the "DOGE" aspect does also affirm we're entering an era where the worst people you know will constantly be dropping the cry laughing emoji about the least funny shit you ever seen
Wrote for the New Statesman about why the hyper-examined life is not worth living – and the booming industry convincing perfectly healthy adults to anxiously obsess over made-up problems they don’t actually have www.newstatesman.com/politics/hea...
Our unhealthy obsession with habit tracking
In 2025, its trendy to monitor everything from your microbiome to your macronutrients. Is this really healthy?
www.newstatesman.com
January 9, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Wrote for the New Statesman about why the hyper-examined life is not worth living – and the booming industry convincing perfectly healthy adults to anxiously obsess over made-up problems they don’t actually have www.newstatesman.com/politics/hea...
For the Observer, I wrote about why the smear campaign against Blake Lively managed to work so well, the obviousness of what happened and the terrible place we’ve reached in feminism—where it’s become trendy to preach but not (when push comes to shove) to practice www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Why did so many people jump to criticise Blake Lively? The answer isn’t complicated
A man can do anything but if a woman does an inch of wrong, people want to watch her burn
www.theguardian.com
January 5, 2025 at 1:40 PM
For the Observer, I wrote about why the smear campaign against Blake Lively managed to work so well, the obviousness of what happened and the terrible place we’ve reached in feminism—where it’s become trendy to preach but not (when push comes to shove) to practice www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Sarah Manavis
2. Prospect’s most-read pieces of 2024: message.prospect-magazine.co.uk/q/1f7AB7MWhL...
My fav of those was @sarahmanavis.bsky.social’s essay on trad wives and other female influencers leading a backlash against feminism.
My fav of those was @sarahmanavis.bsky.social’s essay on trad wives and other female influencers leading a backlash against feminism.
December 31, 2024 at 2:51 PM
2. Prospect’s most-read pieces of 2024: message.prospect-magazine.co.uk/q/1f7AB7MWhL...
My fav of those was @sarahmanavis.bsky.social’s essay on trad wives and other female influencers leading a backlash against feminism.
My fav of those was @sarahmanavis.bsky.social’s essay on trad wives and other female influencers leading a backlash against feminism.
Reposted by Sarah Manavis
Lately i've been thinking about how many of the processes traditional media has used to build trust (an editorial bureaucracy, lots of editing, making work more concise, and hiding a lot of that work & presenting a polished finished product) now read to audiences as inauthentic & less trustworthy
Yesterday I had a fellow YouTuber ask me how we ended up being a credible source of information to our audiences and I realized that you almost can’t be a professional creator /without/ doing that.
“Authentic” is very very connected to “trustworthy.”
“Authentic” is very very connected to “trustworthy.”
December 16, 2024 at 4:53 PM
Lately i've been thinking about how many of the processes traditional media has used to build trust (an editorial bureaucracy, lots of editing, making work more concise, and hiding a lot of that work & presenting a polished finished product) now read to audiences as inauthentic & less trustworthy
Lot of very bad aspects to this, but I have to say a big silver lining to fewer young people on text-based apps is it lowers the chance of having an infuriating argument with someone only to click on their account and see "gaylor | 14"
NEW: Where the teens are
YouTube 90%
TikTok 63%
Instagram 61%
Snapchat 55%
Facebook 32% (down from 71%)
WhatsApp 23%
X 17% (down from 33%)
Reddit 14%
Threads 6%
report: www.pewresearch.org/internet/202...
YouTube 90%
TikTok 63%
Instagram 61%
Snapchat 55%
Facebook 32% (down from 71%)
WhatsApp 23%
X 17% (down from 33%)
Reddit 14%
Threads 6%
report: www.pewresearch.org/internet/202...
December 16, 2024 at 2:09 PM
Lot of very bad aspects to this, but I have to say a big silver lining to fewer young people on text-based apps is it lowers the chance of having an infuriating argument with someone only to click on their account and see "gaylor | 14"
I know the answer is “millions of people a month”, but I seriously need to know who is still falling for this guy’s grift
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Steven Bartlett sharing harmful health misinformation on Diary of CEO podcast
Disproven health claims are accepted with little challenge by host on number one podcast, BBC investigation finds.
www.bbc.com
December 13, 2024 at 11:00 AM
I know the answer is “millions of people a month”, but I seriously need to know who is still falling for this guy’s grift
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Sarah Manavis
over the moon to have been awarded a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant for my forthcoming book - alongside such a brilliant group of writers. You can read more about it here: www.whiting.org/writers/crea...
December 10, 2024 at 1:38 PM
over the moon to have been awarded a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant for my forthcoming book - alongside such a brilliant group of writers. You can read more about it here: www.whiting.org/writers/crea...
There's something quintessentially British about someone walking around in loud, tacky, novelty Christmas apparel while looking absolutely furious
December 9, 2024 at 11:12 AM
There's something quintessentially British about someone walking around in loud, tacky, novelty Christmas apparel while looking absolutely furious
Reposted by Sarah Manavis
I wrote about Casey Newton's essay on AI skepticism, the uselessness of a "AI is real and dangerous" v. "AI is fake and sucks" dichotomy, and the limits of AI boosterism. thetechbubble.substack.com/p/the-phony-...
The phony comforts of useful idiots
On Casey Newton and the shallowness of anti-skepticism.
thetechbubble.substack.com
December 8, 2024 at 10:48 PM
I wrote about Casey Newton's essay on AI skepticism, the uselessness of a "AI is real and dangerous" v. "AI is fake and sucks" dichotomy, and the limits of AI boosterism. thetechbubble.substack.com/p/the-phony-...