Gillian Anderson Will Bring Sex Education to Life In New Book

It seems Gillian Anderson's time spent as sex therapist Jean Milburn on the Netflix series Sex Education has left a lasting impression. The actress is collecting anonymous sex stories from women to include in her forthcoming book, Dear Gillian.

"As women, we know that sex is about more than just sex," Anderson says in a Twitter video describing the project. "But so many of us don’t talk about it. Our deepest, most intimate fears and fantasies remain locked away inside of us, until someone comes along with the key. Well, here is your key."

According to an announcement from Bloomsbury, the book's publisher, the project's main inspiration is the 1973 collection My Secret Garden, an exploration of women's sexual fantasies that similarly featured anonymous letters from around the world. But there's also an obvious connection to Sex Education, which focuses on normalizing all sexual behaviors, kinks, and boundaries. On the show as Milburn, Anderson helps people from all walks of life proudly embrace their sexuality, and her knowledge on the matter trickles down to her son, Otis (Asa Butterfield), who starts his own sex clinic to do the same among his peers. And much like the show, Anderson's book is aiming to be as inclusive and intersectional as possible. 

"Wherever you come from, whomever you do or don’t sleep with, whether you’re eighteen or 80: I want to hear from you," Anderson says.

Anyone who wants to be a part of it has until February 28 at 6:59 PM ET (23:59 GMT) to submit a 1,000 to 2,500 word letter in any language describing their deepest sexual fantasies to deargillian.com. Anderson asks that all submissions begin with the phrase "Dear Gillian," and promises that she'll be sharing her own fantasies as well.

While no release date has yet been announced for Sex Education Season 4, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed in August 2022 that the new season was in the works with several new faces joining the cast including Dan Levy, Thaddea Graham, and Marie Reuther. And yes, Anderson will be back as Milburn to continue encouraging everyone to be open and honest about sex. 

Brianna Wellen is a TV Reporter at Primetimer who became obsessed with television when her parents let her stay up late to watch E.R.