“Life is both fleeting and dangerous, and there is no point in denying yourself pleasure, or being anything other than what you are.” – Elizabeth Gilbert, City of Girls

From the dive bars of the Lower East Side to the beaches of Bali, the Connecticut Christmas Tree farm where she was raised to the Mumbai ashram where she sought solace after a difficult divorce, Elizabeth Gilbert is a world traveller whose unending search for answers to life’s biggest questions have made her the voice of a generation.

Aged 34, she left her home, husband and career to travel alone across the world; her chronicle of that journey became Eat, Pray, Love, an international bestseller so popular Time magazine declared her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Since then she has produced one critically acclaimed bestseller after another. From Committed, her memoir about making her peace with the institution of marriage, to Big Magic, a book encapsulating her the joyful spirit she brings to her creative work, her works resonate profoundly with all of us who wish to confront heartbreak, tragedy and desperation with openness, imagination and wisdom.

In celebration of the release of her new novel City of Girls, she joined the How To Academy to explore her life to date. In this conversation with journalist Hannah MacInnes, she considered her thoughts on genius and creativity, sex and adventure, wonder and fear, leaving no stone unturned in her remarkable story.