Who Wants Normal?

A razor sharp, super-smart manifesto by one of the most vital voices in British journalism today. This guide is a crucial call to action not just for disabled women, but for everyone who wants to have a better understanding of what it means to live with a disability * Yomi Adegoke *This book is beautiful, vital and important. I loved it * Jack Thorne, writer of Adolescence *Exceptional … A must read * British Vogue *Wow, just wow. A call to action if I’ve ever read one. So expertly written, educational, thought-provoking and genuinely funny. Society as a whole is privileged to have this book * David Holmes, author of The Boy Who Lived *Frances has long been one of my writing heroes - this book is typically smart, funny, clarifying and enraging * Eva Wiseman *This superb book is a rallying cry for true equality for disabled people. Full of shocking stats, real life experiences and humour, it made me angry, laugh and gasp * Victoria Derbyshire *Supercharged relevance [full of] robust analysis and wry humour… readers will find here stories to inspire, enrage and encourage * Observer *The must-read manifesto…this new book blends memoir and practical insight in an unmissable call to action…it covers education, careers, health, body image, relationships, representation and more * Stylist *Illuminating and spirited - such a necessary book * Marina Hyde *One of the most interesting and important writers working in the UK today * Nish Kumar *

Frances Ryan is a multi-award-winning journalist and author. Named Commentator of the Year (broadsheet) 2024 by the Society of Editors, Ryan’s work has made the front pages of the New York Times, The Guardian, and British Vogue. It has influenced government policy, been discussed in the House of Commons, and featured on Channel 4 News, BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, and The World Tonight.

For the last decade, Ryan has been a columnist and reporter at The Guardian. Her debut book, Crippled (2019, Verso), was shortlisted for the Bread and Roses Award and was adapted into the short drama Hen Night for the BBC. In 2025, Ryan was named one of the 25 most influential women defining Britain by British Vogue, and Elle U.K. selected her as one of their 40 women of hope defining the next 40 years of culture.

Ryan is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and holds a PhD in politics from the University of Nottingham.

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