Exeter College alumna publishes latest book about confidence after 40

Exeter College alumna Ana Lauren Hoare (2002, MSt History of Art and Visual Culture) has published a new book exploring confidence, reinvention, and self-expression after 40. 

Radiant AF argues that confidence is a skill that can be developed rather than an innate personality trait. Combining personal experience with practical advice, the book examines themes including identity, visibility, relationships, career change, and ageing, encouraging readers to rebuild self-trust and approach new challenges with resilience. Throughout, it explores how discipline, gratitude, and the support of others can help people navigate periods of transition and personal growth. 

Ms Hoare is a signed model, actor, filmmaker, and author whose work focuses on identity, visibility, confidence, and reinvention in midlife. A former competitive rower, she says the philosophy behind Radiant AF was shaped by lessons learned through sport, alongside her studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and Exeter College, where she developed an interest in identity, performance, and personal transformation.  

Radiant AF was published in June and is available to purchase through Blackwell’s and other booksellers. More information about Ms Hoare’s work is available on her Instagram. 

Radiant AF by Exeter College alumna Ana Lauren Hoare (2002, MSt History of Art and Visual Culture)