Recently, UK-based author Susan Quilliam reinvented the bestseller The Joy of Sex (1972) by Alex Comfort (sold 8.5 million copies in 14 countries) and released her version of the book titled The New Joy of Sex this September. After Hours in a one-on-one session with the new sex guru...

What was the need to reinvent the book?
A lot has changed since the time The Joy of Sex was first released. We know far more about the way sex works, what creates pleasure, and how to solve sexual problems. Today we see sex differently—not linked so much with marriage and commitment. Alex wrote the book from a man’s perspective. I’ve included things that will interest women too.

What are the changes in the book?
I eliminated half a dozen sections because they were outdated or now illegal such as having sex on a motorbike and on horseback. I added 43 new sections including those on fantasy, sex toys and internet sex.

How do you define the ‘joy of sex’? 
Deriving joy in sex means being fully aware of your body and yet connecting with your lover physically and emotionally. It is playing but also realising that sex is a powerful force and needs  to be taken seriously.

What’s your take on the Kamasutra?
Kamasutra is mentioned in the Joy of Sex! It is important to everyone’s understanding of sex, whether they come from the west or the east. The Judeao Christian tradition, from which the Joy of Sex comes, considers sexuality as evil outside marriage. Therefore we need to turn to the eastern traditions for permission and inspiration. While Alex Comfort concentrated on the positions in Kamasutra, I also go back to the original philosophy of the scripture, which stresses sex as a vital way to self-development.

Do men and women have similar sexual needs?
When Joy of Sex first appeared, men and women seemed to have different sexual needs—men needing direct pleasure, women needing more foreplay. While physically the same is still true, we are now realising that some of the difference between the genders is culturally programmed. Women now seem to enjoy direct pleasure. Men are beginning to see the value in  foreplay. Every individual has different sexual needs.

Is there anything men should know about female sexuality?
Men need to know that an orgasm for a woman is not through penetration alone. Most women need foreplay. In my 1994 survey, when asked to theoretically choose between orgasm and simple touch in lovemaking, over 90 per cent of the women said that touching was more important. Women use love to generate feelings of passion and so need to feel loved before they can get aroused.