Welcome to The Lighthouse 🕯️

A newsletter by bestselling author Cait Flanders, for people who are seeking a moment of calm on the internet. (Let’s be honest, it’s not always easy to find.)

In 2022, I left Canada and immigrated to the UK—and eventually settled in a small town in the North of England. There’s nothing to do here but walk and read and write and chat with the animals in my garden. So, that’s what I do!

Most weeks, I send out a little dispatch from my daily life here. It’s a collection of stories and things I’ve noticed—at home, in books, on my walks, in the world, and within myself. I send them all from The Lighthouse.

My hope is they feel both reflective and calming, and inspire you to notice more in your own life. People often say it’s the newsletter they rush to open, but then also want to slow down and savour. I’ll let you read a few and see if you agree. ☺️

“I always feel better after I read Cait Flanders; there’s something about her mix of practicality and truth-telling that both soothes and inspires me.”

—Mary Jo, a buyer for Powell’s Books

A little more about me

My name is Cait Flanders. I’m the author of two books THE YEAR OF LESS (a WSJ bestseller, translated in 11 languages, sold 300,000+ copies worldwide) and ADVENTURES IN OPTING OUT. (Sadly, they’ve both been stolen to train AI.)

I’ve been writing online since 2010. For the past 15 years, the question at the core of all my work (and the way I live my life) has been: how can I be more intentional? The answer always starts with paying attention.

I feel completely tapped out on self-help content, and have fallen in love with reading middle grade books. After writing personal narrative and non-fiction for all these years, I’m currently attempting to write my first novel—for kids.

My lifelong goal is full self-expression. And with that, I give myself permission to play around and make changes to this newsletter anytime! I hope you can give yourself permission to do something that’s right for you too.

xx Cait