by Helly Acton
After winding her way through the bustling food stalls to kick-start her mind, senses and soul, she’s ready for her morning writing session at her favourite café on the beach. Her desk is stacked driftwood and her seat is a wicker armchair that’s covered in soft crochet cushions she can sink into. After two flat whites and two hours of researching new topics, she’ll close her laptop, remove her sarong and swim once up and down the length of the bay, thinking about her topics and refining them in her head. And afterwards, she’ll write down everything that came to her in the gentle waves. By the end of the morning, she’s ready to return to her villa to dry off, clean up and answer more emails.
Today’s routine is no different. Although when she opens her inbox after lunch, she’s surprised to see an email from someone familiar.
Hi Piglet,
I hope you’re enjoying the sun in Thailand. I’m so pleased for you. That’s exactly what I wanted for you when I put you on the show, for you to be happy. I know you’ve forgiven me, but don’t forget me now that you’re rich and famous! Maybe I could even get a cut! ;) Only joking.
I’m emailing you because I thought you might be interested to hear about me. I’ve decided to put Headplace on a back burner. Seems like the market isn’t ready for what I have to offer.
Anyway, you might like to know that I have a new venture, and I think it could be a really amazing investment opportunity for you. After my moment in the spotlight on The Shelf, I’ve identified a gap in the male matchmaking market. I want to set up a service where men are groomed to be a better catch and taught how to tackle the dating scene.
It’s a growing industry, with more and more people meeting online, like you and I did, I suppose. I’m at seed-funding stage and I need £50,000 to build my website, get premises and for marketing. If you’re interested, it would be great to chat. I’ll send you the full business plan and then perhaps we could talk on Skype on Friday? Or you could fly me out there to chat face to face! ;) Lol.
Jamie
Amy responds immediately.
Dear Jamie,
Thanks for your email.
Now that I’m living my best life in Thailand, I’m used to translating things into English every day. Luckily, I also speak fluent Jamie, so here’s my attempt at translating your email:
1. Headplace was a complete failure
2. Everyone thinks I’m an arse
3. I need money
Sound about right?
Thanks, but no thanks.
Amy
Three months ago, Amy won The Shelf and one million pounds. She was also offered ongoing therapy sessions, a makeover, a holiday and a year’s subscription to Love Market, the latest dating site. She rejected them all.
After a month of media commitments, interviews, TV show appearances and fan meets, she was finally able to sit down and start working out what to do with the money and the time it bought her. The truth is, Amy was more excited about her freedom than her fortune. But she accepted that she could buy more freedom if she invested wisely.
She kept the promise she’d made to herself to buy a first-class flight to Thailand. She also booked her parents and Sarah on a flight out to join her after a few months, and they’ll be arriving next week.
Her first investment was a two-bedroom flat in Putney, which she bought in cash and with Sarah’s expert advice. It was already tenanted, so Amy is living on the rental income and saving her winnings.
Her second investment was in an exciting all-female fitness industry start-up in Cheltenham called Gymma. Her investment was helping to kit it out with brand-new equipment, and Gemma promised to send her daily updates, like the one she received this morning.
Subject: Power racks have arrived!
The image attached to the email shows a pregnant Gemma hanging from a jungle gym, with her thighs wrapped around Jason’s neck.
Amy smiles at the ridiculous scene and then jumps when she feels her phone vibrate in her pocket. It’s a WhatsApp from Jackie, which is a close-up of red lips wrapped around a chocolate doughnut.
All right, love? Ate this,
thought of you
Amy replies.
Send all the doughnuts!
PS Actually do not, I’ll be an outcast in the land of the influencers
Do not. Donut.
Now I can’t stop thinking of doughnuts
Jackie sends another picture, this time of her smiling with doughnut in all her front teeth.
Amy replies with , then puts her phone on the table.
In two months’ time, Jackie’s lawsuit – Amy’s final investment – will be over (fingers crossed) and their platform will be launched.
Shelfish.org.
Where women come first.
The tag line probably needs some work. But they have time. Jackie is preparing conversations with partners, and Amy is working on the content they’ll launch with.
Gemma’s their Fitness columnist.
Hattie’s on Food.
Lauren is on Sex.
Kathy’s an over-fifties agony aunt.
And Flick is on Home.
They form the perfect team.
She hasn’t felt this whole in years, and she hasn’t needed her ‘other half’ to do it. Her being is completed by the love and support of her family, her friends and the comfort she takes in knowing that she can accomplish anything she wants to on her own. She looks up at her new painting on the wall. It’s a quote she came across recently on her social media travels. It spoke so loud and clear to her that she decided to have it painted and framed.
The secret to having it all is knowing that you do
Perhaps she’ll have someone to share the painting with one day. But only when she’s ready. She isn’t ready yet. The quote also reminded her of something Sarah told her over a bottle of prosecco at Amuse Bouche, the night before she flew to Bangkok.
‘Amy, we’re all so busy trying to find the right person, we aren’t trying to be the right person.’
Amy turns to her screen and the clean Google doc in front of her, and starts to type.
How I Finally Found The One
Acknowledgements
Two years ago, I was pretty clueless about the world of book publishing. And let’s face it, I still am. But one thing I do know is that I didn’t write this book alone. It took a small, highly-skilled army of brilliant people to shape this book into its best self.
Thank you, on repeat at full volume, to my agent Hayley Steed for changing my life. Without Hayley’s wisdom I wouldn’t be writing this. Thank you, into a megaphone in front of a mic, to my editors Sarah Bauer and Katie Lumsden, and the team at Bonnier, whose belief, enthusiasm and energy have made me fall in love with The Shelf even more, over and over again.
To my family who waded through the earliest, crudest and cringe-worthiest drafts, thank you for giving me the encouragement I needed to continue. To my friends, who continue to lift me up and make me laugh, thank you for the inspiration. And to Milo, who keeps my feet warm under my desk and brings me endless joy, woof.
Lastly, thank you to Chris, who has been my cheerleader from the second the lightbulb flickered on a balcony in Corsica three years ago, who read every single chapter as I wrote (and multiple drafts of), and who never complained about the four a.m. alarm. Chris, you’re an absolute keeper.
What’s the worst thing that could happen to you on TV?
Hello, my name is Helly Acton and I’m a reality show fan.
We live in a world that’s captivated by romance and fame. Where reality shows, like Too Hot to Handle, eclipse social media feeds and water cooler conversations across the country for weeks and weeks on end. The idea for The Shelf was sparked after I stumbled across Naked Attraction. Surprised by the lengths (*titter*) that people will go to, to find love or get their face on-screen, I asked myself: ‘What’s the worst thing that could happen to you on TV?’ At the time, my answer was getting dumped.
Reality TV isn’t for everyone, but for me it’
s a way for my brain to unwind after a long day at my desk. In saying that, I also think shows like Love Island offer us far more than an escape from the daily grind. Reality TV is full of life lessons about relationships – romantic or not. I love how it shows what relationship red flags to watch out for (something Amy desperately needs to learn!) and puts the spotlight on important topics like gaslighting. I love how it (mostly) shows the strength of female friendships. I love how it (mostly) shows men being open with their emotions. And I love how it (mostly) encourages us to talk about how we feel. As a writer, I also love that reality TV is full of unique characters who represent the diversity of human behaviour and personalities. Characters who are often stranger than fiction, but also completely real.
In The Shelf, I wanted to capture and replicate what I love about this type of TV. The excitement us fans feel when these shows are on and the fun we have when discussing them with our friends. But, I also wanted to send a message that makes women from all walks of life feel empowered, whatever their relationship history or status. I wanted to highlight what it feels like to be under constant surveillance, pushing ourselves to be perfect as a result. It was also important to me to point a finger at those viewers online, watching with their thumbs at the ready, who forget that they’re talking about real people when they post. Many of the comments you will read in The Shelf were inspired by actual comments I have seen. I hope they will serve as a reminder for us all to always be kind.
I’d like to think that today, my answer as to what would be the most humiliating thing to happen on TV would be very different, having completed Amy’s journey.
I wrote The Shelf as a pep talk to an early-thirties me, and to every woman who has felt the pressure to find the partner, get the mortgage, have the kids and buy the five-door family estate with the stick figure family on the boot. My fear of being left behind saw me bounce between relationships in my twenties, until I landed at the altar with Mr Wrong. With The Shelf, I hope to empower readers by reminding them that having a partner isn’t pivotal to happiness, to never settle for the sake of fitting in and to always feel confident that they alone are enough.
THANK YOU for spending time on The Shelf. I hope you loved reading it as much as I loved writing it.
Helly Acton
Currently over the moon
xxx
Loved The Shelf? Hated Jamie? Have a burning question to ask? Or just desperate to discuss?
Follow Helly Acton on Instagram at @hellyactonauthor or on Twitter at @hellyacton, and join in the conversation using #TheShelf2020.
For all the latest news and updates, follow @theshelfuk on Instagram.
Hello there, wonderful human!
A big thank you from the bottom of my fluttering heart for picking up The Shelf. Every show of support helps keep me in a steady supply of Yorkshire Tea, cheese and ramen noodles, which has fuelled my writing for the last few years and will probably fuel the next few too. You’ll just have to imagine me giving you an awkwardly long hug and whispering my undying appreciation into your ear. Or, on second thoughts, perhaps you’d prefer not to. #Creepy.
I first had the idea for The Shelf in August 2017, sitting on an apartment balcony in Corsica and staring at the bright pink sunset. The next morning, I woke up early and work began. I mapped out all of my original chapters in one day, writing at the speed of Popeye on spinach, on a notepad the size of a smartphone. A fact about me – I only write in black ink. I’m superstitious about other colours! I opened that little notepad the other day, and let’s just say, I’m sure I heard the pages laugh at me for some of my original ideas. I’ll let you in on a secret: one of my first characters was a vegan who gets dumped for a beef farmer. I mean … I’m pretty sure I wrote her well after wine o’clock. Interestingly, the first line of The Shelf is still the original. And while Amy Wright is not based on me, I currently have a chocolate doughnut bun on my head as I type this letter to you.
Since then, the last two years have been a whirlwind, a dream come true and a lot of hard work. Not just on my part, but on the part of the whole team behind it. I’m eternally grateful for everyone who has helped make The Shelf a reality, and to the readers – like you – who give me the encouragement to continue doing what I love – telling light-hearted, uplifting and ultimately empowering stories about women and relationships.
If you would like to hear more about The Shelf and my other books, you can visit www.theshelf-uk.com where you can become part of the Helly Acton Readers’ Club. It only takes a few moments to sign up, and there are no hidden catches or costs.
Bonnier Books UK will keep your data private and confidential, and it will never be passed on to a third party. Nor will we spam you with loads of emails. We’ll just keep in touch now and again with news about my books, and you can unsubscribe any time you want.
If you would like to get involved in a wider conversation about my books, please do review The Shelf on Amazon, on Goodreads, on any other e-store, on your own blog and social media accounts, or talk about it with friends, family or reading groups! Sharing your thoughts helps other readers, and I always enjoy hearing about what people experience from my writing.
Thank you again for reading The Shelf.
All the best,
Helly xxx
If you enjoyed The Shelf, you’ll love the brilliant new novel from Helly Acton:
Would you risk everything for love?
Coming 2021
About the Author
HELLY ACTON is a copywriter from London with past lives in the Middle East, Africa and Australia. Born in Zimbabwe, Helly and her family emigrated to the East Sussex coast when she was fifteen years old. Here, she finished school and spent her holidays in Saudi Arabia, where her father was working. She studied Law at King’s College London before following a more creative path into advertising.
In her mid-twenties, Helly escaped the rat race and took a three-month career break to travel in Africa, India and Asia before landing in Australia. What was supposed to last one year ended up lasting six, and after a life-affirming break-up in Sydney she returned home to find herself the last of her single friends. Helly threw herself into the deep end of online dating in the city and uses her experience as a single woman in her early thirties, torn between settling down and savouring her independence, as a source of inspiration for her stories.
Helly currently lives in London with her husband, Chris, and their dog child, Milo.
First published in Great Britain in 2020 by Zaffre
This ebook edition published in 2020 by
ZAFFRE
80-81 Wimpole St, London, W1G 9RE
Copyright © Helly Acton, 2020
Cover design by Alexandra Allden
Cover illustrations © Shutterstock.com
The moral right of Helly Acton to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-83877-089-1
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-83877-087-7
Export ISBN: 978-1-83877-088-4
This ebook was produced by Palimpsest Book Production Limited, Falkirk, Stirlingshire
Zaffre is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK
www.bonnierbooks.co.uk
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