Isabel Losada
Isabel Losada is a British Author of narrative non-fiction. Her most recent full-length books combine humour with a serious look at their subject matters and are true-life accounts of her own experiences. She has one daughter and lives in Battersea, London.
Books
New Habits
New Habits examines happiness among Church of England nuns. When a friend announced that she was going to become a nun, the author decided to interview ten more young women who were making the same choice to join a range of different Christian communities ranging from enclosed contemplative communities to Franciscan communities. The interviews cover the women's feelings about the vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience as well as describing other details of the daily life of a religious sister.The book is included in the recommended reading list for those exploring vocation.
The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment
The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment is an exploration of the subject of happiness. In it she tries out many of the 'New Age' courses available in the UK that claim to offer routes to inner peace and personal fulfilment. The book explores Insight Seminars, T'ai chi, a retreat in an Anglican convent, Astrology, Tantric Sexuality, Co-Dependent's Anonymous, Colonic irrigation, Rebirthing-breathwork, Past life regression with Roger Woolger various forms of massage including Stone massage and Kahuna Hawaiian massage, Neuro-linguistic Programming, an Anger management workshop, and a workshop on Angels with William Bloom. The book was chosen as Radio 4's Book of the week and Isabel performed it herself for the series. The book went on to become a bestseller in the UK and has been translated into 15 languages including Japanese and Russian. Oprah Radio host Mehmet Oz called the book "a fantastically cool endeavour". Bloomsbury produced a '10th Anniversary Edition' in 2011 and in 2014 the book is in its 20th reprinting.For Tibet, with Love. A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World
For Tibet, with Love. A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World explores what one person can do to make a difference, in this case to the cultural imperialism of the Chinese Government in Tibet. The book was republished in 2005 reversing the title and subtitle so became 'A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World'. This second UK edition also had a different ISBN. In 2010 Bloomsbury brought out a new third edition, with a new preface under the original title. In this book Isabel travels to Lhasa explores how individuals and groups can use the media to raise awareness and influence public opinion and finally travels to Dharamsala to interview the 14th Dalai Lama.Men
Men is a humorous examination of the widely experienced sociological phenomenon of there being many more single and available women over the age of 40 in our cities than men and answers the question "Where are all the interesting and available men?" The book considers the many factors that have produced this discrepancy including an interview with Simon Baron-Cohen, which details the differences between the male and the female brain. During a tour of Ireland to promote the book, she appeared on the renowned Gerry Ryan Show. Following Ryan's untimely death, she declared that "making Radio with Gerry was better than having sex with most men".The Battersea Park Road to Paradise
The Battersea Park Road to Paradise, explores Feng Shui, Anthony Robbins, Vipassana, Advaita and Shamanism was published in 2011. This book begins by exploring the impact of our environment and ends with an exploration of the nature of consciousness itself through the teacher Mooji and ends with an experience of taking Ayawaska with the Ashaninka in the Amazonian Rainforest.Sensation
Sensation is Losada’s account of a year spent exploring the subject of sex between heterosexual couples, and in particular what makes sex into good sex in long term and loving relationships. The research for the book involved participation in various courses, couple workshops, women-only weekends and attending the first international conference on Orgasmic Meditation. The book, part memoir and part manifesto in the cause for better relationships between men and women, has been praised for its honesty about a subject often shrouded in fear and shame despite the so-called sexual revolution. Russell Brand, who interviewed Losada for an episode of his podcast Under The Skin with Russell Brand, stated that "I have learnt from Isabel that we are not approaching sex in a very conscious and connected way. It's very interesting to read a woman talking plainly and mechanically about sex. I want to learn this stuff." Sensation was also chosen as the ‘Non-Fiction Book of the Month’ by The Bookseller magazine.The Joyful Environmentalist
The Joyful Environmentalist. How to Practice Without Preaching is Losada's collection of stories, reflections and ideas about the steps that an individual can take to help save the environment and the planet. As well as tips to reduce the use of plastic, switching to renewable energy, ethical banking, sustainable clothing choices, and gardening for biodiversity, Losada recounts her personal experiences of planting native trees in the Highlands of Scotland, playing Samba drums with Extinction Rebellion and visting Knepp Castle estate and its pioneering rewilding project known as Knepp Wildland. The environmental and political activist George Monbiot is quoted as saying about the book, "this is the joy we need in our lives".Awards
In 2019 Isabel was awarded ‘Author of the Year’ by Kindred Spirit magazine. The magazine selected Isabel for the body of her work in the Mind Body Spirit sector and the award was secured by her popularity in a reader vote.Talks and Journalism
Isabel gives comedy talks and presentations about her work, particularly at literary and arts festivals such as, for example, the Brighton Festival, The Edinburgh International Book Festival, Ways With Words and the South Asian Literature Festival. As part of the 2011 SW11 Literary Festival she was "Author in Residence", which also involved spending nine days sat in the window of a Waterstone's bookshop! She has been interviewed about her work on BBC Radio 4's Midweek, Start the Week, Woman's Hour and Excess Baggage as well as for Jeremy Vine and Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2. Isabel was also invited to present her own series of Thought for the Day for BBC Radio 2. She has been interviewed by local radio stations all over the UK, America and Australia on several book tours.She writes regularly for newspapers and journals, and the occasional blog. A short article on the "importance of knowing nothing" was published by the prestigious Royal Society of Arts in 2011.