About

Author, journalist and longstanding friend of the shop, Alev Scott, joins Mr B's for her new work of non-fiction, Cash Cow, a compelling and thought-provoking deep dive into the morally complex global fertility industry.

Cash Cow explores the commodification of the maternal body, exposing how the IVF, surrogacy and milk industries operate around the world, leading Alev to question who exactly, if anyone, should be making a profit.

Alev will be in conversation with Marisa Bate, feminist freelance journalist and author of And Still We March and The Periodic Table of Feminism.

About the book:

Should surrogacy be a paid service, an altruistic act – or even legal at all?

Is it right that you can pay more for 'VIP' egg donors – and to view their photos?

How much, if anything, should breastmilk cost – and who should be allowed to buy it?

The global fertility industry is rapidly growing, hugely profitable and morally complex. This an industry where one person's biological bad luck can be another person's financial gain. From egg freezing to black-market breastmilk, the maternal body has never been more commodified, yet the ethical, emotional and economic implications are rarely considered.

Through a combination of undercover reporting and detailed first-hand accounts – including a surrogate of 12 children, an international embryo courier and a man who buys breastmilk for his IBS – Alev Scott exposes how the IVF, surrogacy and milk industries operate around the world and who is profiting. In doing so, she considers the blurred line between exploitation and empowerment. Who should make money from the maternal body: only the women themselves, anyone or no one?

Timely, thought-provoking and compelling, Cash Cow is an unmissable investigation into how desire, desperation and commerce intersect, and the impact the fertility industry has on individuals.

"A powerful, intimate and disturbing exploration of the hidden markets built on women's bodies" – Professor Peter Frankopan

"Humane, thoughtful and urgent ― this book will make you think, make you laugh, make you cry, but also make you burn with rage" – Dr Mary Wellesley

About the authors:

Alev Scott is an author and journalist for publications including the Times, Sunday Times, Guardian and New Statesman. Born to a Turkish Cypriot mother and British father, she moved to Istanbul to teach Latin after studying Classics and worked as a freelance journalist for the British press. She was barred from Turkey in 2017 for her reporting, and since then has lived and worked in Athens, Amsterdam and London. Her previous books cover Turkish and Greek history and culture, and include Ottoman Odyssey, Power & The People, and Turkish Awakening. Her radio and TV work includes the BBC's World Service, Today Programme and Woman's Hour.

Marisa Bate is a feminist freelance journalist with bylines across the British media including The Guardian, The Times, The i Paper, the Independent, Grazia, Stylist, and Vogue.co.uk. She is the author of And Still We March and The Periodic Table of Feminism and she was the first member of staff at the award-winning digital platform, The Pool. In 2025, Marisa was nominated for a British Podcast Award for a four-part podcast series she wrote and hosted exploring the psychological impact of violence against women and girls across Europe. Marisa is a regular commentator on feminist issues, with appearances across TV and radio and writes a popular newsletter called Writing About Women.