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Solitude - time on our own \u2013 has had a bad press. It\u2019s certainly becoming more common in many parts of the globe, as seen in the increasing numbers choosing to live alone. But it\u2019s easily confused with loneliness, or demonised as weird or threatening in the form of \u2018the loner\u2019.

So how far can or should we pursue solitude? How does it relate to our hyper-connected world?\n \nWe hear from a \u2018semi-hermit\u2019 on how she lives her life, a survivor of solitary confinement who also feared compulsory company, a champion of \u2018the loner\u2019s manifesto\u2019 and an expert on global solo living.

(Image: A lonely man watches the sun-rise as he sits on top of a mountain. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)