W. F. Howes to publish audio original by UK TV broadcaster and women’s health advocate Cherry Healey

W. F. Howes, RBmedia’s U.K. publishing brand, will publish Safer, an audiobook original by Cherry Healey, British TV broadcaster and women’s health advocate, best known as co-presenter of the BBC’s Inside the Factory. The powerful long-form investigative documentary explores what it takes to be safe as a woman in the modern world. Narrated by Healey, Safer will be released worldwide in autumn 2026 exclusively in audio under its WFH Original imprint.

Developed by Acquisitions Manager Laura Smith at W. F. Howes, alongside literary agent Anna Dixon at YMU and Cherry Healey, the audiobook combines Healey’s personal testimony with investigative journalism and expert insight, placing her voice and perspective at the centre of the story.

Contributors include leading voices across activism, journalism, campaigning and education, including Soma Sara, founder of the anti-rape movement Everyone’s Invited; Sophia Smith Galer, author of Losing It: Sex Education for the 21st Century; Sharon Gaffka, known for her work on spiking and online safety; and Ben Hurst, who works with men and boys on masculinity, alongside additional experts spanning women’s safety across life, love, work and health.

Globally, one in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most often at the hands of someone they know. Beyond direct violence, Safer examines the wider systems that shape women’s safety-from economic inequality and healthcare to online abuse, dating and the workplace-drawing on expert insight to build a practical toolkit for change.

Healey said:

“For too many women, issues of safety and harassment can feel like ever-present background noise — and it’s hard not to be affected by that, especially as sometimes it feels like just when we think we’ve heard the worst thing possible, we turn on the news and hear something even more upsetting. It’s hard to just get on with your day afterwards. 

The scale of this issue can feel overwhelming and, like so many women, I have my own experiences that have stayed with me. As my frustration has grown, I’ve wanted to channel that in a constructive way. Safer brings together expert voices and personal accounts to explore women’s safety across relationships, work, health and the online world. I don’t have all the answers, but I hope it helps us make some sense of what’s happening — and moves us closer to a world where women are truly safe and equally respected. That feels more important now than ever.”

Laura Smith, Acquisitions Manager, W. F. Howes said:
“The concept for this audio original was born from one question-how can women be safer? As we developed the idea in-house, I knew we would need to bring together the knowledge and experiences of experts working across many fields, and that we needed a committed and passionate broadcaster and author who could bring it to life.