Books have the power to begin conversations that matter, and that was at the heart of a very special evening at Leckford, hosted in partnership with Waitrose & Partners Farm. We were delighted to have the opportunity to host Josh Hartley & Amanda Prowse, Co-Authors of The Boy Between – for their How to be Happy tour. The beautiful setting of the Leckford Farm Shop provided a warm and open environment for an important discussion.

Selected as a World Book Night title and named an Amazon Best Book of the Year, The Boy Between has touched readers around the world, opening up important conversations about lived experience, understanding and the power of sharing our stories. The book, and Amanda & Josh’s openness and honesty, sets out to open up more conversations around depression, suicide and male mental health and the stigma around this.

The evening began with Josh reading the prologue of the book — an incredibly powerful start that immediately drew the audience into his story, setting out the circumstances he had found himself in and providing a moving introduction to the experiences at the heart of the book. It was a poignant moment that set the tone for the evening and the important conversations that followed.

Throughout the evening, guests had the opportunity to hear more about the story behind the book, the experiences that shaped it and why telling these stories matters. The conversation was both moving and thought-provoking, offering a reminder of how books can help us connect with others, see the world from a different perspective and find hope, even in the most challenging circumstances.

Josh has shared his experiences with audiences across national television, radio and podcasts, including BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, BBC Breakfast, Lorraine and This Morning. Together, Josh and Amanda have brought a deeply personal story to readers everywhere, helping to create space for conversations that might otherwise be difficult to begin.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Waitrose & Partners Farm for partnering with us, and to the team at Leckford for their generous hospitality and for hosting such a memorable evening. Most importantly, thank you to Josh, Amanda and everyone who joined us and helped make the event so special. Thank you for sharing the time with us and your experiences. It was a powerful reminder that storytelling is about more than the words on a page but that they are a powerful place to start these discussions.