Am I Ugly?

In July 2015, Michelle Elman posted a picture of herself on Instagram. She is wearing a bikini, but unlike so many of the bodies on Instagram, hers is not thin. And in the photo, you can see deep scars running across her stomach. At twenty-one years old, it was her first time wearing a bikini. The p [...]
Visa längre beskrivning

In July 2015, Michelle Elman posted a picture of herself on Instagram. She is wearing a bikini, but unlike so many of the bodies on Instagram, hers is not thin. And in the photo, you can see deep scars running across her stomach. At twenty-one years old, it was her first time wearing a bikini. The post went viral. It was shared by celebrities such as Zooey Deschanel and George Takei, and featured in over sixty publications including the Daily Mail, Independent, MTV, Cosmopolitan, People and Buzzfeed. It joined a passionate conversation all over the word: what is beauty? Who got to decide? Why don't we talk about scars? Am I Ugly? follows Michelle's journey through fifteen surgeries and body-confidence issues to embrace both her scars and her body. Her inspirational story takes us through childhood illnesses and the rough competitive background of school, to her arrival at university where her body insecurities were challenged again. It grapples with disordered eating, PTSD, and the complex interplay between beauty and illness. 'Michelle Elman is Bo-Po personified. She shows that we should never hide the things that make us who we are' Curvy Kate. 'A 21-year-old life coach in London has become an Instagram star and viral inspiration after sharing her bikini photos and an inspiring video' Fox News. 'Michelle's post has certainly made an impact on so many people who needed a pick-me-up, and we just hope that anyone else feeling insecure due to clothes sizes somehow find themselves scrolling onto her post, too' Metro.