Jill Andrew, PhD (ABD), is a prolific woman with a mission. She is a body positive activist, writer, educator, fashion blogger, co-creator of the Body Confidence Canada Awards, founder/director of BITE ME! Toronto Int’l Body Image Film & Arts Festival Awards, and spearhead a petition going to the  Ontario Human Rights Commission to make discrimination based on size and appearance illegal.  She wants to end fat shaming, and change our culture into one that accepts and celebrates all bodies, not to mention the people in them.

cover and interior book design

After learning about the Body Confidence Canada Awards, I wanted to connect with Jill and let her know about The Body Book, thinking it could be an educational tool to help the cause.  Kindly and bewilderingly given her full schedule, Jill found some time to share her thoughts.  In my opinion, she summed up perfectly why I feel this book is needed.

“Roz Maclean’s The Body Book is a welcomed edition to the Body Positivity Movement! MacLean seamlessly demonstrates that everyBODY has a story and that each and every one of our bodies not only deserves respect but should be acknowledged and celebrated as the only one we’re going to get! Our bodies usher us into the world, make us better community citizens and allow us to develop healthier and stronger relationships with our loved ones. We may look and move differently in these bodies of ours but what we can all do is appreciate one another and admire each others journeys in the skin we are in! Through the use of vivid colour and fun imagery, MacLean’s characters reach countless readers as they are not defined by any one gender or race, for instance. This allows a transcending of stereotypes which truly provides the opportunities for each of us – young and old – to ‘find’ each of these bodies within our very own.”

-Jill Andrew,PhD(ABD)

Thanks Jill for your thoughts, I look forward to following your incredible work. I encourage everyone to do the same!