Aimee Cliff took part in the pilot Wellcome Collection Non-Fiction Awards in 2022, run jointly by Spread the Word and Wellcome Collection.
How to Read Minds is her new book about empathy and neurodivergence – the book that she developed whilst on the programme. We’re thrilled to learn that William Collins will publish the book in March 2026.
Aimee Cliff is a writer and psychotherapist based in London. She began her career as a music and culture journalist, working as Associate Editor of The FADER and Editor of Dazed Digital. Of the Wellcome Collection Non-Fiction Awards, Aimee said: “The Spread the Word x Wellcome Collection Writing Awards gave me vital support at a critical point in turning the tiniest seed of an idea into a reality. Knowing where to start with a non-fiction project can be overwhelming, and without this award, I may never have got off the ground. Thanks to this programme, I had time to write, invaluable insights into craft and the industry, and a cohort of talented, generous people offering me feedback. Perhaps most importantly, I was introduced through the programme to my brilliant agent – who helped me sell my book the following year.”
Commissioning Editor at William Collins, Eva Hodgkin, commented: “How to Read Minds is one of the most quietly radical books I’ve read. By interrogating the science and stereotypes surrounding autism and empathy, it offers an alternative way for all of us to practice real empathy. Aimee is imagining something entirely new and liberatory, and I can’t wait to see her book’s impact in the world.”
On How to Read Minds, Aimee said: “This book is an invitation to expand our working definition of empathy. If we assume that none of us is biologically predisposed to empathise, and all of us must actively cultivate that skill, how could that change us for the better? This has never felt more urgent to me: in a climate of imperialist violence and fascist ideology, strengthening our capacity to connect to one another is an act of liberation and resistance.”
Huge congratulations Aimee!
Read all about it in the Bookseller.
Published: Thursday 17 July 2025