Empowering good health and happiness beyond 50
Date Published: 20 March 2026
— Professor Chris van Tulleken, Clinician, Academic, TV Presenter, UK
Aged 50+ is a pivotal stage in many women’s lives. We are entering post-menopause—free from reproductive hormones, periods, and contraception. Children may be leaving home, careers may be shifting or winding down, and there is the dawning realisation that we may have 20 or 30 healthy years ahead of us. This is not an ending, but a powerful new beginning. This stage of life offers an opportunity to reconnect with yourselves, to rediscover what truly matters, and to prioritise self-love and self-care without guilt. This book brings you the wisdom of 50 inspiring women who share their lived experiences with honesty and generosity. Their stories offer guidance, reassurance, and permission to live authentically on your own terms. Together, they show how this stage of life can be rich with meaning, purpose, freedom, and joy. These are Your Joyful Years.
Professor Joyce Harper is a down-to-earth expert in reproductive and women’s health, with almost 40 years’ experience listening to women and translating science into practical, evidence-based guidance. She has published widely about women’s health and is passionate about helping women thrive. Joyce combines research, real-world experience, and a deep belief in living life to the full, and she practices what she preaches. This book is the second in her trilogy: Your Fertile Years; Your Joyful Years; and Your Final Years.
Interview with Joyce Harper
Do you have a routine or something you do to get you in the mood to write?
I had hoped that I might spend some time alone by the sea while writing much of this book, as I think that would have helped me work more quickly and with greater focus, but it never quite happened. My life is very full and varied, so most days involve a lot of juggling. What I need most in order to write is silence and a clear head. I am not someone who can write all day without a break.
Do you have a special song, drink, or food you enjoy while you are writing?
No, not really. I need silence when I write, so music does not help me. I also do not drink tea or coffee, so for me writing is much more about having the right mental space than any particular ritual.
How do you know what to write?
I tend to wait for inspiration to come to me. My writing often begins with an idea, a conversation, or a theme that keeps returning to my mind. Once that happens, I usually know I need to follow it.
What does a typical writing day look like for you?
Ideally, I like to write in blocks of about two hours. I often start first thing in the morning, as soon as I wake up, when my mind is freshest. Then I usually go to an exercise class at 9.30 for 90 minutes, which helps clear my head. After that, I may return to writing in shorter bursts throughout the rest of the day, fitting it around everything else I do.
Do you do anything special to celebrate after writing “the end”?
Not really. Finishing a book feels satisfying, of course, but I do not have a particular celebration ritual. But I do like to give talks and do events to discuss the book. My last book came out in lockdown so this was not possible in person. I did a few online events but they lacked the magic. So this time around I did a really big book launch event with over 100 people, and dancing. And now I am embarking on a book tour.
How long does it take you to write a book?
The first book I wrote entirely on my own took 34 years. I started writing it in 1987 and it was finally published in 2021. My latest book was much more focused and took two years from idea to publication.
What is the most difficult part of writing a book?
The hardest part is finding enough uninterrupted time. I have a full-time job as a professor, along with many other commitments, so writing had to fit around a very busy life. At the same time, I also have three children who needed me, so it was not always easy to balance everything.
About the Author
Joyce is deeply passionate about empowering women to live their best lives through good health and happiness. Her last book, Your Fertile Years, published by Sheldon Press in 2021, explores women’s health from puberty to menopause. In Your Joyful Years, she shares the wisdom of 50 women over 50 who are thriving, to empower women to lead a life of good health and happiness. She has started writing her next book, Your Final Years, about the end of life.
Her podcast Why didn’t anyone tell me this? is ranked in the top 10% of podcasts globally on Listen Notes and is listened to in more than 90 countries.
Joyce gives many public talks. She regularly appears in the press, on radio and TV. She is a regular guest on various BBC programmes including Women’s Hour and the BBC World Service. She has been a guest on Brian Cox’s Infinite Monkey Cage and his radio show A Question of Science and she explained sex to Philomena Cunk, in Cunk on Life.
As co-founder and co-lead of the UK Menopause Education and Support Programme (InTune) with Dr Shema Tariq and the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration (IRHEC), Joyce is dedicated to improving reproductive health education for all ages. She collaborates with schools across the UK and globally to deliver impactful programs that promote knowledge and understanding.
An avid cold-water swimmer, Joyce is also a founding member of the research network SwimHer, which investigates the links between women’s health and cold-water swimming. Her groundbreaking work includes publishing the world’s first study about how cold-water swimming affects menstrual and menopause symptoms.
Since 2016 she has run a local women’s group in Saffron Walden, The Purple Tent.
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