Share your stories of love, loss and hope on the path to parenthood

For some, trying to conceive can be completely straightforward but for plenty of others the path to parenthood is far from straightforward, leaving us feeling alone and adrift, struggling to find answers as to what happens next. So what does happen after the failed pregnancy tests, that first miscarriage, the unsuccessful rounds of IVF, the ectopic pregnancy or stillbirth? What is it like to experience secondary infertility, adopt a child, rely on a surrogate, an egg or sperm donor, or come to terms with not having a child at all? And why are there no books on the market sharing stories to help answer these questions and more?

It was only after opening up to people I trusted during my own experiences of battling to make a baby that I discovered how common fertility issues are. I searched for a book to help me learn from others’ experiences, but everything felt either overly medical or focussed on just one element of the journey, there was no collection of stories sharing the resilience and hope of the millions of others going through the same struggles. So, I’m setting out to write one myself, and I invite you to join me. I’m curating a book of stories to serve as a positive and practical resource for anyone in the midst of their journey to parenthood, be it through IVF, surrogacy, adoption or any other route. Be a part of it and tell me about how you overcame the challenges you faced and how your story ended so we can help those who travel the road next. Submit your story using this encrypted portal below. Thank you.

Audrey Ward, Head of Book Serialisations, The Sunday Times, qualified lawyer and author of The Waiting Room

Submit your story here for inclusion in The Waiting Room

The closing date for submissions is 23:59 on 31 May 2025.
This is by no means a guarantee that your Contribution will be included. You will be notified separately if your submission is successful. Most submissions will be kept anonymous and if we want to remove anonymity, this will be subject to your consent and we will be in touch about this separately.
You must be over 18 to make a submission.

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The Waiting Room is publishing April 2026 and available to pre-order now.

With one in six couples globally struggling with infertility, we’re all aware that the path to parenthood can often be far from straightforward, yet the silence surrounding these issues can often make it feel like a road travelled alone. It’s often only when we are collectively brave enough to share our experiences that it becomes clear how common issues with conception can be.

So, what does happen after the failed pregnancy tests, the first miscarriage, the unsuccessful round of IVF, the ectopic pregnant or stillbirth? What’s it like to adopt a child, rely on a surrogate, an egg or sperm donor, or come to terms with not having a child at all? Having spoken to dozens of women and men whose journeys to parenthood were far from smooth, The Sunday Times journalist Audrey Ward is perfectly placed to curate a selection of stories from those individuals who have generously shared their experiences of respite, healing, and hope.

Join us, then, in The Waiting Room – an insightful, optimistic, practical collection of real-life stories for anyone for whom parenthood feels painfully out of reach.

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Audrey Ward

Audrey Ward is Head of Serialisations for The Sunday Times and is a qualified lawyer. She writes for The Sunday Times Magazine and has previously worked as assistant editor on News Review and deputy editor of Home. She was shortlisted for the Impress Prize for New Writers in 2020.