It's Complicated

is a mosaic of human connections in all their shades – from breaking up to making out, quiet contentment to agonising loneliness, sexting to ghosting, navigating friendships to 'fuckboys', pregnancy loss to profound fulfilment. Philippa Found's project emerged during the early days of the pandemic, aiming to dissolve the isolation that gripped us all. Through anonymous submissions, people shared their unfiltered stories. It grew beyond the shadows, featuring in large-scale street exhibitions across the TfL network and earning an award from the London Mayor. It became a counterpoint to the stigma around love stories, standing against the shame we carry with our love. Beyond lockdown, the project thrived, collecting over 1,500 stories. This short story collection, showcasing 250 curated pieces for the first time, peels back the layers of modern relationships. Each story gives a glimpse into the lives of others; cultivating empathy and reminding us of our shared humanity. By reading about others' experiences, we learn to understand and embrace ourselves better – our desires (or lack of) and those burning, poisonous, suffocating, uncomfortable feelings. The short stories are grouped into sections mirroring the stages of a relationship, including platonic ones. iii.EXES iv.SINGLE v.HOOKING UP vi.DATING vii.IT'S COMPLICATED viii.FRIENDS & FAMILY ix.IN A RELATIONSHIP x.BREAK-UPS