Loneliness has reached the levels of an epidemic. From the bullied child to the new parent, from the pensioner who has outlived friends and family members to teenagers who manage their social lives through the glow of a mobile phone, it can - and does - affect anyone and everyone, irrespective of age, race or class. Many suffer in silence, convinced it's a confession too far, a sign of too much vulnerability, a shameful failing. But the human condition is not a failing.

What's it like when loneliness descends? How does it announce itself, and how do you recognise it? Do you discuss it or conceal it? From where can you seek help? A Life Less Lonely shares stories of loneliness and social isolation and looks for ways in which we can help one another to future-proof ourselves against this most insidious affliction. By talking to those who suffer from it, and by highlighting the work of those who fight to combat it, the audiobook offers guidance on how to spot the symptoms in yourself and in others, how to connect with those around you, and how, by understanding it all better, we might just set ourselves free from it.

In this way, what is an epidemic today might not be one tomorrow.