Feminism and feminist theory Books

Book SynopsisA ROUGH TRADE, THE TIMES, CLASH BOOK OF THE YEARThe dramatic story of Solange: a musician and artist whose unconventional journey to international success was far more important than her family name. ''Why Solange Matters is a significant and sober treatise on popular music . . . This book is more than necessary.''THURSTON MOORE''The author''s prose sparkles . . . This is a book about what freedom could look like for Black women.''CALEB AZUMAH NELSON, OBSERVER''Invigorating . . . much more than a dry thesis and at times something nearer to personal reverie.''IAN PENMAN, LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS''A love letter to quirkly black creatives . . . [Phillips''] vibrant writing reminds us how Solange lit the flame of creativity within many Black women.'' gal-demGrowing up in the shadow of her superstar sister, Beyoncé, and deTrade Review'Every once in a while, a musician comes along who so beautifully, so poignantly speaks that Black women remember that we are more than our vulnerability. In Why Solange Matters, Stephanie Phillips gracefully positions Solange amongst that elite cohort. From Houston to London and many places in between, Phillips presses our ear to the street in order to reveal how Solange broke the mold and released us all.' - Shana Redmond, author of EVERYTHING MAN: THE FORM AND FUNCTION OF PAUL ROBESON

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Book SynopsisEste Element analiza las características de los movimientos feministas actuales en América Latina y sus respuestas a las reacciones conservadoras. Se explora cómo las feministas, aprovechando su pluralidad interna y su conexión con el estado, pueden contrarrestar los ataques conservadores.Table of ContentsIntroducción; 1. Feminismo en América Latina; 2. Redes anidadas feministas en México y Brasil; 3. Derecho al aborto en México: avances feministas y contraofensiva nacional y subnacional; 4. Redes feministas en Brasil: Bloquear a los conservadores antiaborto; 5. Conclusiones y direcciones para futuras investigaciones; Referencias.

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Book SynopsisFrom Kate Baer, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman, comes her much anticipated second full-length traditional poetry collection, And Yet.I will love and be loved. Save and be saveda thousand times. I will let the want intomy body, bless the heat under my skin.My life, I will not waste it. I will enjoy this life.And Yet dives even deeper into the themes that are the hallmarks of Kate''s writing: motherhood, friendship, love, and loss. Taken together, these poems demonstrate the remarkable evolution of a writer and an artist working at the height of her craft, pushing herself and her poetry in a beautiful and impressive way.In this collection, Kate offers much needed inspiration to find the joy, and the hope, in all of life''s mess and miracles.

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Book SynopsisCounterpractice highlights a generation of women who used art to define a culture of experimental thought and practice during the period of the French women’s movement or Mouvement de Libération des Femmes (1970–81). It considers women’s art in relation to some of the most exciting thinkers to have emerged from the French literature and philosophy of the 1970s – Hélène Cixous, Luce Irigaray and Julia Kristeva – forcing a timely reconsideration of the full spectrum of revolutionary practices by women in the years following the events of May ’68. Lavishly illustrated with over 200 images, the book also features an illuminating foreword by art historian Griselda Pollock.Trade Review'In this illuminating scholarship, we re-encounter the familiar names of (1970s) French feminisms, but Balaram’s innovation is to reveal a swathe of obscured, forgotten, or lesser-known (French) artists and feminist actors. Balaram allows these artists and artworks to shine as she seamlessly weaves history, politics, artwork, and theory, nuancing the often monolithic presentation of 1970s French feminism.'Jasmine D. Cooper, French Studies'Counterpractice provides an ambitious survey of the events leading up to May ’68 and an invaluable document of the women artists who were working in Paris around that time. Taken together with her careful account of the ground-breaking feminist theory that informed their activism, Rakhee Balaram has made an essential and lasting contribution to the field.'Mary Kelly, Judge Widney Professor, Roski School of Art and Design, University of Southern California‘This pioneering book is a major contribution to the history of feminist art, writing, theory, and activism. Rakhee Balaram has done meticulous research, placing the movement in its historical and political contexts and interpreting the issues debated and contested among these women. No stone is left unturned. Enjoy your journey with these original, stimulating artists, and with this wonderful author as your guide.’Gloria Orenstein, Professor Emerita of Comparative Literature and Gender Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences -- .Table of ContentsForeword by Griselda PollockIntroduction1 On the streets: from May ’68 to the MLF2 The MLF 1970s3 Libération-création: MLF, women artists and the militant body4 Instase: Psychanalyse et Politique and the spaces of women’s art5 Women’s groups and collective art practices6 Hard politics, soft art: subversive practices from écriture féminine to soft artConclusion: La révolution accomplie? Some legacies of women's art in 1970s FranceIndex

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Book Synopsis**AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4'S WOMEN'S HOUR**Rough is a revolutionary non-fiction work exploring the narratives of sexual violence that we don't talk about.A bad sexual experience.A grey area. Not rape but... A violation .These are the terms we use to describe the experiences we don't have words for. The way we talk about topics such as sex, consent, assault aren't fit for purpose.Through powerful testimony from 50 women and non-binary people, this book shines a light on the sexual violence that takes place in our bedrooms and beyond, sometimes at the hands of people we know, trust, or even love. Rough investigates violations such as 'stealthing,' non-consensual choking, and non-consensual rough sex acts that our culture is only starting to recognise as sexual violence.The book explores the ways in which systems of oppression manifest in our sexual culture - from racist microaggressions, to fatphobic acts of aggression, and ableist dehumanising behaviour. An intersectional, sex-positive, kink-positive work, the book also examines how white supremacy, transphobia, biphobia, homophobia, and misogyny are driving forces behind sexual violence.Rough is an urgent, timely call for change to the systems that oppress us all.'An incredible investigation into a frighteningly common part of our sexual experience,' Dr Fern Riddell'Rough speaks to how many women often feel after sexual encounters ...This book is excellent and demonstrates just how valid those feelings are,' Adele Walton, founder of Humanitarian HotgirlTrade ReviewRough is one of the most comprehensive and interesting books I've ever read. I recommend it to all my friends and patients as essential reading in the world of psychosexual therapy. I cannot say enough good things about it. You won't put it down. * Gigi Engle, author of 'All The F*ing Mistakes' *An unflinching examination of the damaging sexual narratives often hidden or less talked about, Rough looks at the way culture and gender perceptions influence our behaviour in bed. Thompson's writing is burning and unapologetic, and contracts with sharpness and verve. An important, thought-provoking read which renders systems and personal attitudes, and starts a helpful dialogue (in a hope to) to kindle positive change. * Nataliya Deleva, author of 'Arrival' *This is indispensable reading for anyone who wants both breadth and detail in how sexual consent is expressed, understood and all too often violated. Rough is inclusive and sympathetic writing that, importantly, remains sex positive and optimistic for a future with more knowledge and more power. It's consent writing that would make anyone want to change the world from one of the UK's leading voices on the issue. * Sophia Smith Galer, author of 'Losing It' *Rough speaks to how many women often feel after sexual encounters - violated but unsure of exactly why, and whether our feelings are valid. This book is excellent and demonstrates just how valid those feelings are. * Adele Walton, founder of Humanitarian Hotgirl *An incredible investigation into a frighteningly common part of our sexual experience; determined to give ownership back to those who have had their agency stolen from them. * Dr Fern Riddell *

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Book Synopsis'A must-read eye-opener that makes you laugh, cry, get angry and get happy on every page. It's magnificent' Bob Mortimer'Our greatest modern writer on women turns her eyes on men - and it's all good' David BaddielAs any feminist who talks about the problems of girls and women will know, the first question you will ever be asked is 'But what about MEN?' After eleven years of writing bestsellers about women and dismissing this question, having been very sure that the concerns of feminism and men are very different things, Caitlin Moran realised that this wasn't quite right, and that the problems of feminism are also the problems of, yes, men.So, what about men? Why do they only go to the doctor if their wife or girlfriend makes them? Why do they never discuss their penises with each other - but make endless jokes about their balls? What is porn doing for young men? Is their fondness for super-skinny jeans leading to an epidemic of bad mental health? Are men allowed to be sad? Are men allowed to lose? Have Men's Rights Activists confused 'power' with 'empowerment'? And is Jordan B Peterson just your mum - but with some mad theory about a lobster?In this book, Caitlin intends to answer all this and more - because if men haven't yet answered the question 'What About Men?', it's going to be down to a busy woman to do it.Trade ReviewA brave, intelligent and frequently very funny attempt to jump-start a modern men's movement * Observer *A must-read...Thoughtful, funny and typically quick-witted, in What About Men? the veteran journalist expertly explores modern masculinity * Metro *[Caitlin Moran] writes from the standpoint of someone who has never stopped being a good laugh * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThe trial of Angela Davis is remembered as one of America's most historic political trials, and no one can tell the story better than Davis herself. Opening with a letter from James Baldwin to Angela, and including contributions from numerous radicals and commentators such as Black Panthers George Jackson, Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale and Erica Huggins, this book is not only an account of Davis's incarceration and the struggles surrounding it, but also perhaps the most comprehensive and thorough analysis of the prison system of the United States and the figure embodied in Davis's arrest and imprisonment-the political prisoner. Since the book was written, the carceral system in the US has grown from strength to strength, with more of its black population behind bars than ever before. The scathing analysis of the role of prison and the policing of black populations offered by Davis and her comrades in this astonishing volume remains as relevant today as the day it was published.Trade ReviewAngela Davis taught me that I did not have to tolerate the racism I was suffering in the playground, she told me that I was not alone.it was in this book that I first came across the word 'solidarity'. -- Benjamin ZephaniahDavis' arguments for justice are formidable. . . . The power of her historical insights and the sweetness of her dream cannot be denied. * The New York Times *

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Book Synopsis"Beautifully written, searingly honest, and deeply affecting ... when the book ended, I only wanted more" - Roxane Gay"Ford is a writer for the ages, and Somebody's Daughter will be a book of the year" - Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed"Truly a classic in the making" - John Green, author of The Fault in Our StarsAn Oprah bookThroughout her adolescence, Ashley Ford doesn't know how to deal with the worries that keep her up at night. If only she could turn to her father for his advice and support. But he's in prison, and she doesn't know what he did to end up there. After being raped by her ex-boyfriend, Ashley desperately searches for her sense of self. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father's incarceration... and Ashley's world is turned upside down.Ashley embarks on a powerful journey to find the connections between who she is and what she was born into, discovering that, however much we might try to untether ourselves from a painful past, the ties that bind families together are the strongest ones of all."Sure to be one of the best memoirs of 2021" - Kirkus Reviews"A heart-wrenching coming-of age story" - Time"Her coming-of-age story gets at how to both acknowledge and break away from what we're born into" - Cosmopolitan"A beautiful, delicate memoir... a journey toward true and powerful selfhood" - ElleTrade Review'Ashley C. Ford's wrenchingly brilliant memoir Somebody's Daughter is truly a classic in the making. Ford's writing is so richly observed and so suffused with love and yearning that I kept forgetting to breathe while reading it.' - John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars'Somebody's Daughter takes the idea of a coming-of-age story and smashes it on its head. A masterpiece of acceptance and exploration, of growth and forgiveness, and - maybe most importantly of all - learning how not to forgive. This is a story of boundaries and looking back on w hat has happened with a kind but understanding eye. Ashley C. Ford's talent is on full display, as is her heart.' - Isaac Fitzgerald, author of How to Be a Pirate'Ashley C. Ford went deep into the well of herself and her history and came back to the light with the book now in your hands. A piercing interrogation of who we are and who we are to the people laying claim to us, Somebody's Daughter is hard-earned storytelling, yes, but also an opportunity for each of us to illuminate the ties that bind, entangle and connect us to one another.' - Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight for Our Lives'Ashley C. Ford is not just a beautiful writer, she is a brilliant, thoughtful and compassionate writer. The book is an achingly honest account of a complicated childhood. There is heartache and grief but above all Somebody's Daughter is the portrait of someone determined to love deeply and to love well. Someone determined to honor the person they are meant to be. Someone with the cleareyed courage and kindness to tell their story in service of a greater truth. We are so lucky Ashley chooses to share her wisdom with the world. I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I closed it and neither will you.' - Aminatou Sow, coauthor of Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close

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Book SynopsisWhat if we took sex out of the box marked 'special', either the worst or best thing that a human person can experience, and considered it within the complexity of reality? In this extraordinary book, despite longstanding tabloid-style sexual preoccupations with villains and victims, shame and virtue, JoAnn Wypijewski does exactly that.From the HIV crisis to the paedophile priest panic, Woody Allen to Brett Kavanaugh, child pornography to Abu Ghraib, Wypijewski takes the most famous sex panics of the last decades and turns them inside out, weaving what together becomes a searing indictment of modern sexual politics, exposing the myriad ways sex panics and the expansion of the punitive state are intertwined.What emerges is an examination of the multiple ways in which the ever-expanding default language of monsters and victims has contributed to the repressive power of the state. Politics exists in the mess of life. Sex does too, Wypijewski insists and so must sexual politics, to make any sense at all.Trade ReviewWhat We Don't Talk About When We Talk About #MeToo speaks for many women who resist (sometimes quietly) the peer pressure that has no name, and for women dismayed by the politics of belief infecting our secular conversations about sex. Injustice has become a sustainable resource, and JoAnn Wypijewski has been documenting its variations quite eloquently for 25 years. Her reporting is solid and energetic. Wypijewski knows how to unpack a monster. -- Tracy Quan, author of Diary of a Manhattan Call GirlJust causes, Wypijewski reminds us, have a bad habit of overreaching justice. Revisiting some of the most notorious sex abuse cases of recent times, she shows how little attention the media has given to actual facts and alternative interpretations. These incisive and controversial essays are a tour d'force by a brilliant journalist with unbounded empathy. -- Mike DavisJoAnn Wypijewski stimulates us to think freshly about sex and sexual politics, and she is not afraid to infuriate both those who consider themselves sexual progressives and traditional conservatives. Let's call a town meeting of the whole country to grapple with the insights, the fury, and most of all the wisdom in this essential book. -- Peter Davis, Academy Award winning filmmaker of Hearts and Minds, author of Girl of My DreamsWypijewski lays bare the twisted logics we employ to convince ourselves that there are easy distinctions between love, brutality, sex, and capitalism. Forceful and brilliant analysis, an unrelenting excavation not just of what happened and to whom, but what it means to all of us watching from the sidelines. Wypijewski, like few other writers, provides an archaelogy of sex which is in turn an archaelogy of power. -- Yasmin NairUncomfortable, powerful, and moving; few writers can give us the nitty-gritty of sex and its messiness within the grand sweep of history, and get both the big picture and the details exactly right. -- Jeffrey Escoffier, author of American Homo, Research Associate at the Brooklyn Institute for Social ResearchJoAnn Wypijewski has written steadily and courageously on topics that paralyze other reporters into silence or lukewarm compromise. She knows that our horror of crime springs from the same root as our need for scapegoats. Her essays are always perceptive, and always worth reading -- David Bromwich, author of American Breakdown: The Trump Years and How They Befell UsFrom Woody Allen to Matthew Shepherd to monster priests and Harvey Weinsteins, today's high sex scandals are media and courtroom myths of total innocence versus total guilt-larded with very real, globalized rage. They're postmodern passion plays whose buy-in, not just from patriarchs but also from feminists, has rendered these narratives chillingly sterile-and dead in their sterility. For years, JoAnn Wypijewski has been packing her bags and visiting the venues of civic libido behind the scandals. And then, with beautiful prose and complex analysis, she reports back to us the true messiness: of sex, life, late capitalism, fear, and yet the hope that still breathes in the mess. Her work is a national treasure. -- Debbie Nathan, journalist, co-author of Satan’s Silence: Ritual Abuse and the Making of a Modern American Witch HuntJoAnn Wypijewski is the finest and most fearless literary journalist writing today, and in these crucial and stunningly beautiful essays she brings into bracing focus the deepest politics of desire. No other writer is telling these stories; maybe no other writer could with such generosity of spirit. 'Mercy is the scandal now,' she writes of the the ways in which too many have come to prefer the counting of sins to the dream of liberation, but this is no book of lamentations. Through a series of moments intimately observed, Wypijewski summons us again to consider the possibilities for pleasure, eros as ally, in any struggle to get free. Hers is a prophetic voice. -- Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family and This Brilliant DarknessUnpicks the logic that allows us to convince ourselves that there are easy distinctions to be made between love and brutality. -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *

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Book SynopsisWITH A BRAND-NEW AFTERWORD FOR 2024 COVERING RUSSELL BRAND, LUIS RUBIALES AND OTHER CASE STUDIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD 'A stunning book; as vital as it is compelling... a must-read for women and allies alike' -Harriet Johnson, author of Enough: The Violence Against Women and How to End It'Crucial reading for any person wanting to fight gendered abuse' -Jess Phillips'If you read anything this year, make sure it's this' -Daisy May CooperIn 2017, allegations against Harvey Weinstein prompted a worldwide sharing of sexual harassment and abuse stories on social media. Just as #MeToo began to empower survivors to speak out about their abuse, perpetrators and their lawyers got to work trying to silence them.In Silenced Women, leading human rights barristers Jennifer Robinson and Dr Keina Yoshida expose the ways that the establishment has mobilised against change and sought to reinforce a system that keeps women voiceless. From the difference between the Amber Heard cases in the UK and the US, to the story of how Zelda Perkins became the first person to break her NDA against Weinstein, they draw on their own and others' cases to explain how the law is being used to curtail women's free speech - and what we can do to fight back.Trade Review'The cases that come to court hold up a mirror that reflects what is going on in our societies. Two brilliant lawyers, experts in their field use these compelling cases to show us that despite all the campaigns and rhetoric this is still a world made by men for men. I hope this books encourages all who want a society where women have equal respect and equal power to accelerate our efforts to ensure that the next generation are not still writing brilliant but shaming books like this one.' -- Lady Cherie Blair KC'A stunning book; as vital as it is compelling. A powerful warning about how the justice system can be used to silence women, and why urgent change is needed: a must-read for women and allies alike.' -- Harriet Johnson * author of Enough: The Violence Against Women and How to End It (2022) *'The nature of law is that it is made and secured by those who have power, which is why women are are still battering at its doors. This book is another brick through the windows of our legal systems: a brilliant, trenchant analysis of what is wrong with the law.' -- Baroness Helena Kennedy KC'This is an urgent and important book. Women's rights can only be secured and defended if women are able to speak their truth without fear of harassment and intimidation. How Many More Women highlights how the law itself censors women and why we urgently need radical change of these systems and in those who oversee them.' -- Jodie Ginsberg, President of Committee to Protect Journalists'In forensic detail with real cases, Robinson and Yoshida show how far the law is trailing behind the zeitgeist of MeToo. The sheer scale of the problem is shocking - if you are a woman who likes to express your views, you need to read this book. If anyone can change things, in court or through the pages of this powerful book, it is these two fearless feminist lawyers.' -- Dr Susie Alegre * author of Freedom to Think (2022) *'Witty, gritty, insightful and true, this book is essential reading for all women. Robinson and Yoshida lay down the law, on law, in an accessible way, giving us the ammunition we need, not just to protect ourselves, but to go out there and win.' -- Kathy Lette * bestselling author *'The oppression of women is a many-headed beast - commonly, as we defeat some, others emerge. How Many More Women? lifts the lid on the way the law is weaponised to silence women from speaking out about the violence and abuse they suffer. It is crucial reading for any person wanting to fight against all forms of gendered abuse.' -- Jess Phillips MP'This important book demonstrates how man-made laws and legal procedures bear down harshly and unfairly on women who try to exercise their free speech rights to complain about domestic violence and abuse. At a time when reform of defective laws of defamation and confidentiality is being considered in many English-speaking countries, the injustices eloquently described by these authors deserve special attention. Theirs is a book that should be read - with shame - by judges and politicians and with appreciation by news editors, journalists, and all concerned to enhance freedom of speech.' -- Geoffrey Robertson KC * barrister, former UN judge and author *'The authors show how a siloed approach to law, together with long outdated but persistent myths about women (particularly in relation to sexual violence and gender-based violence) perpetuates injustice in practice. Using case studies from across the globe, many involving their clients, the authors seek to break this silence, give women back their voice and show how change can and is happening. A fine example of feminist legal scholarship. It should be made essential reading for law students, trainee advocates and judges.' -- Dr Susan Atkins CB * author of ´Woman and the Law´ *A clear-eyes and damning indictment of a criminal justice system that has armoured the reputations of the rich and powerful while leaving victims vulnerable and exposed. * Irish Independent *Interpersonal violence will not end until we are free to speak about it openly and honestly. And yet the sobering reality, powerfully exposed by Jennifer Robinson and Keina Yoshida in How Many More Women, is that victims have been repeatedly silenced. In engaging and accessible prose, Robinson and Yoshida reclaim free speech as a fundamental human right for victims of gender-based violence and as essential for creating a truly free and civil society. * Professor Emerit Jennifer Joy Freud *If you read anything this year, make sure it's this. * Daisy May Cooper *

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Book SynopsisJane Robinson is also the author of Bluestockings: The Remarkable Story of the First Women to Fight for an Education and Ladies Can't Climb Ladders: The Pioneering Adventures of the First Professional Women. She was born in Edinburgh, grew up in North Yorkshire and read English at Somerville College, Oxford. She has worked in the antiquarian book trade and as an archivist, and is now a full-time writer and lecturer, specializing in social history through women's eyes. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical and Royal Geographical Societies, a Hawthornden Fellow, and a Senior Associate of Somerville College. In her spare time she collects books and designs pop-up Escape Rooms. She lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband and two feline assistants, Emmy and Mrs Chippy. Trailblazer is her thirteenth book.

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Book Synopsis WINNER OF THE 2023 EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a warrior. I'm in awe of her strength and courage' - Selena Gomez'An incredibly powerful story' Sunday Independent'In the Shadow of the Mountain has all the elements a great memoir requires - a strong voice, cinematic prose, a hero to root for - in essence, an extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman's life' - San Francisco Chronicle'Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a woman possessed of uncommon strength, rare compassion, and a ferocious stubbornness to not allow the trauma of her childhood to destroy her life' - Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love'Powerful' - New York Times YOU DON'T CONQUER A MOUNTAIN. YOU SURRENDER TO IT ONE STEP AT A TIME. Despite a high-flying career, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado knew she was hanging by a thread. Deep in the throes of alcoholism, and hiding her sexuality from her family, she was repressing the abuse she'd suffered as a child.When her mother called her home to Peru, she knew something finally had to change. It did. Silvia began to climb.Something about the sheer size of the mountains, the vast emptiness and the nearness of death, woke her up. And then, she took her biggest pain to the biggest mountain: Everest. The 'Mother of the World' allows few to reach her summit, but Silvia didn't go alone. Trekking with her to Base Camp, were five troubled young women on an odyssey that helped each confront their personal trauma, and whose strength and community propelled Silvia forward...Beautifully written and deeply moving, In the Shadow of the Mountain is a remarkable story of compassion, humility, and strength, inspiring us all to find have faith in our own heroism and resilience.Trade ReviewSilvia Vasquez-Lavado is a warrior. I'm in awe of her strength and courage. * Selena Gomez *An incredibly powerful story * Sunday Independent *Powerful * New York Times *In the Shadow of the Mountain has all the elements a great memoir requires - a strong voice, cinematic prose, a hero to root for - in essence, an extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman's life. * San Francisco Chronicle *Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a woman possessed of uncommon strength, rare compassion, and a ferocious stubbornness to not allow the trauma of her childhood to destroy her life. * Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love *Told with searing honesty, this vividly wrought memoir chronicles an almost superhuman journey from the deep vortex of trauma and self-destructive compulsions to the heights of physical endurance and spiritual emergence. * Dr. Gabor Maté, Bestselling Author of In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts *powerful and relatable... a moving commemoration of mountains and mothers * Sunday Independent *

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Book SynopsisActive in the 1830s and 1840s, Flora Tristan is best known for her book "Workers' Union", an account of the conditions of women and workers in Peru, London, Paris and the provinces of France. Regarded as something of a pariah, she was one of the first women radicals to draw clear connections between the plight of disaffected workers and powerless women. Her version of socialism has been regarded as leading towards Marx. Sandra Dijkstra aims to paint a clear picture of Tristan as a class- and gender-conscious women writer in a transitional historical period, and to demonstrate her influence on Marxism.Trade ReviewFlora Tristan was the pioneer social explorer of the early Victorian world, chronicling the condition of women and labor from the sugar plantations of Peru to the salons of the July Monarchy and the satantic mills of industrial England. In this brilliant study, Dijkstra restores Tristan to her rightful but complex place in the histories of socialism and feminism. -- Mike Davis, author of Planet of Slums

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Book SynopsisBringing together multi-award-winning author Hazel Carby’s most important and influential essays, Cultures in Babylon addresses the political dilemmas of representing Black women as sexual subjects, considers how far female sexuality is exploited by consumerism, and traces the contradictions Black women in the culture industry navigate. Carby’s writing is invariably sharp and provocative, her political insights shrewd and often against the grain. A powerful intervention, Cultures in Babylon quickly became a standard reference point in debates over race, ethnicity, and gender.

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Book SynopsisDiscover Wollstonecraft’s classic feminist text in an abridged, digestible form.WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ZOE WILLIAMS The term feminism did not yet exist when Mary Wollstonecraft wrote this book, but it was the first great piece of feminist writing. In these pages you will find the essence of her argument – for the education of women and for an increased female contribution to society. Her work made the first ripples of what would later become the tidal wave of the women’s rights movement. Rationalist but revolutionary, Wollstonecraft changed the world for women.Vintage Feminism: classic feminist texts in short formTrade ReviewMary Wollstonecraft's words ring as true today - and are as little heeded by government - as when she wrote them, 200 years ago, in her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman * Guardian *The first pebble in the later avalanche of the women's rights movement -- Melvyn Bragg * Guardian *The first great piece of feminist writing * Independent *Changed the world for generations of women to come * Sunday Times *A book that was bold in its time and is now considered the notable forerunner of the women's movement * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisAn important contribution to our recent history' ANDREW MARRAbsorbing and important' JOAN BAKEWELLOne of my favourite reads of 2021' GARETH RUSSELLPoignant and inspiring,Women in the Wartells the first-hand stories of ten of the last surviving female members of Britain''s ''Greatest Generation''.Whether flying Spitfires to the frontline, aiding code breaking at Bletchley Park, plotting the Battle of the Atlantic or working with Churchill in the Cabinet War Rooms, each of these women made a crucial contribution to the conflict overseas and helped to buttress the home front.Here they recount their remarkable experiences during the Second World War, recalling how their formative years were shaped by danger and trauma, and how friendship and romance fortified their spirits.Drawing on the insight that comes with age, they contemplate how the conflict helped women prove their worth, transforming society and sparking the later battles for equal rights.With a reporter's eye for detail, Lucy FiTrade Review‘Riveting… Stories that are not only fascinating in themselves, but contain the sort of detail that would only strike those present at the time.’THE TELEGRAPH REVIEW ‘In all the hundreds of books written about the Second World War, there is a curious lack of information about the role of women. In these series of intimate interviews with some of the last survivors, Lucy Fisher closes the gap. From pilots to land girls, nurses to radio operators, plotters to Downing Street insiders, she hears from some of the remarkable women who helped win the war that defined modern Britain. An important contribution to our recent history.’ ANDREW MARR ‘Unsung, and until now unacknowledged, Lucy Fisher tells the story of stalwart yet unassuming women who contributed in obtrusive ways to Britain’s victory in World War Two. Land girl, wireless operator, secretary in the Cabinet war rooms, plotter in the Wrens, paraphraser at Bletchley Park: these women talk of their important, even dangerous lives, setting the record straight. This is an absorbing and important footnote to the history of World War Two.’ JOAN BAKEWELL ‘One of my favourite reads of 2021. Wonderfully written, Women in the War captures the voices of ten extraordinary veterans of the Second World War whose stories take us from Bletchley Park to military aircraft, to busy English hospitals and a Blitz-torn Belfast. Women in the War is by turns uplifting, nerve-wracking, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny. It is also a story of finding freedom amid fear. The courage and tenacity of these women left me in awe.’ GARETH RUSSELL

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Book SynopsisPublishing as a standalone collection for the first time, and featuring new, never-before-published poems

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewSeductive with the simplicity of an atom, which is to say highly complex, explosive underneath an apparent quietude -- Toni MorrisonClifton was one of America's great poets, whose work throughout her lifetime was committed to chronicling and celebrating black lives. The honesty, joy, wisdom, and hope she brought to this task is regenerative -- Tracy K. Smith, former U.S. Poet LaureateFew poets have traversed such deserts, playgrounds and high castles of possibility in the briefest and seemingly effortless poetry. Her big-hearted work welcomes us and transports us with grace and mischief. It is poetry that goes down like fine wine and that sustains, in us, its good mood of inquiry ever after -- Professor Daljit Nagra, Brunel University LondonOpen up to any page and Clifton delivers a word. Whether the subject is roaches, family, death, or surviving, she has a psalm for all occasions. She can create the most complicated magic out of the simplest words -- Danez Smith * The Week *Clifton's earliest poems could have been written yesterday, and her later works could have been written decades ago. Each poem is always its own world. Her poems touch on the political, the personal, the spiritual -- Reginald Dwayne Betts, * The New York Times *Clifton wrote physically small poems with enormous and profound inner worlds ... Her poems are committed to truth-telling in the face of silence. History in her work is embodied, alive, and autonomous, alert to its own contradictions -- Elizabeth Alexander * New Yorker *No-one writes like Lucille Clifton ... The poems, in their specificity and dilating scale, startle readers into new sense. They discomfort as often as they bless, and they bless as often as they wonder - bearing witness to joy and to struggle * The Paris Review *Although her work is often spare and simple, it is always beautifully and painstakingly crafted into poems that tell the truth, poems that insist on residing within the reader, poems by a poet who seeks and achieves the ability to be a vehicle for those who may not otherwise speak * Web Del Sol Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisA fully updated 40th anniversary edition of the pioneering handbook for female assertiveness an indispensable guide to getting what you wantTrade Review'The classic assertiveness bible... You might be better off with A Woman in Your Own Right than any of the modern girlboss manuals that claim to be able to transform you wholesale into a kickass corporate woman' Rhiannon Lucy Cosslet, Guardian'We’ve made giant strides towards equality over the decades, but... this advice is even more pertinent today' Linda Kelsey, Daily Mail'As important as it ever was’ Angela Neustatter'The bible for anyone who wants to get their voice heard… invaluable' Lesley Garner

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Book Synopsis- ''Illuminating . . . an important book'' Sunday Times- ''A fascinating journey through the social, cultural and historical meanings of breastfeeding. A sublime book'' Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women- ''Erudite, intimate and compelling . . . a long-overdue history'' Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed- ''A story for us all'' BBC History MagazineMilk is elemental. It is the first thing we look for at birth and, for most, it is the first substance to touch our tongues after we enter the world. It is the promise of nourishment, of care, of life.Using the arc of her own experience, cultural historian Joanna Wolfarth takes us on an intimate journey of discovery beyond mother and baby, asking how the world views caregivers, their bodies, their labour and their communal bonds. By bringing together art, social histories, philosophy, folk wisdom and contemporary interviews with women from across the world, Milk Trade ReviewCompassionate, compelling and beautifully told, Milk is a fascinating journey through the social, cultural and historical meanings of breastfeeding. Through her intricate, personal and tender research, Wolfarth deftly explores the human complexities of caring, nurturing and nourishing. A sublime book -- ELINOR CLEGHORN, author of UNWELL WOMENA feminist blend of memoir and history . . . Wolfarth takes us on an illuminating tour of shifting attitudes and practices . . . as a cultural historian she is excellent at detailing how motherhood changes her perspective of art . . . this is an important book: however personal each mother's "journey" may seem, there are always bigger forces at play -- Francesca Angelini * THE SUNDAY TIMES *Erudite, intimate and compelling, Milk is a long-overdue history of humanity's first food -- LEAH HAZARD, author of HARD PUSHEDThe beauty of Wolfarth's storytelling is difficult to convey . . . [Milk] is a story for us all * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *Milk is a fascinating book, a rigorous and intimate study of something at once essential to life, and yet too often overlooked. Wolfarth uses breastfeeding as a lens through which to examine and critique the structures of motherhood, but it's also a text suffused with love and care, and I felt equal parts enlightened and comforted after reading it -- MIRANDA WARD, author of ADRIFTSensitively drawn and full of insight, this is an intelligent and inventive new approach to a subject that should matter to all humans. Stunning -- JENNIE AGG, author of LIFE, ALMOSTI adored Milk. It is such an open-hearted, tender, gorgeous book; the way Wolfarth writes of mothers and milk so carefully crafted and so caring in equal measure. Art and bodies are interwoven so beautifully it becomes a dance; one that pays tribute to our ancestors and our experience, both individual and collective. We are asked in myriad ways what exactly it means to give sustenance, to nurture, to give ourselves over to a small stranger we are changed by forever; no matter how we fed them. An important, non-judgmental and truly healing book; I am most grateful for it indeed -- Kerri ní Dochartaigh, author of THIN PLACES

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Book Synopsis***'An epic and fascinating book.' The Bookseller'Emma Lewis' sprawling new book shines a light on overlooked feminist histories' - AnOther MagazineHow did the abolitionist movement interact with women's entry into the field of photography? What does the medium have to do with menstrual taboos? Is there even such a thing as a 'feminist image'?Whether working in the studio or on the front line, women have contributed to every aspect of photography's short history. For some, gender is front and centre; for others, it's merely incidental. All have been affected by the power structures beyond their camera lenses. Far too many have been, and continue to be, overlooked.Mapping photographic developments against shifting gender rights and roles, Photography - A Feminist History shines a light on how photography has borne witness to women's movements and made the causes for which they fight visible, and how, in turn, different approaches to feminism have given us ways of understanding photographs. Authoritative and international in scope, Photography - A Feminist History features over 140 photographers, with ten thematic essays, and extended profiles on 75 key practitioners, many informed by conversations with the author.

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Book SynopsisThe sex industry is an endless source of prurient drama for the mainstream media. Recent years have seen a panic over "online red-light districts," which supposedly seduce vulnerable young women into a life of degradation, and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's live tweeting of a Cambodian brothel raid. The current trend for writing about and describing actual experiences of sex work fuels a culture obsessed with the behaviour of sex workers. Rarely do these fearful dispatches come from sex workers themselves, and they never seem to deviate from the position that sex workers must be rescued from their condition, and the industry simply abolished-a position common among feminists and conservatives alike. In Playing the Whore, journalist Melissa Gira Grant turns these pieties on their head, arguing for an overhaul in the way we think about sex work. Based on ten years of writing and reporting on the sex trade, and grounded in her experience as an organizer, advocate, and former sex worker, Playing the Whore dismantles pervasive myths about sex work, criticizes both conditions within the sex industry and its criminalization, and argues that separating sex work from the "legitimate" economy only harms those who perform sexual labor. In Playing the Whore, sex workers' demands, too long relegated to the margins, take center stage: sex work is work, and sex workers' rights are human rights.Trade Review"A persuasive manifesto. Underneath Grant's strategically inclusive argument lurks a harder political critique of the transformation of politics and economics since the 1970s." * London Review of Books *In [Playing the Whore], Grant critiques the policing of sex workers, the conditions of the industry, and the ongoing discussions surrounding how we see the sex industry as well as the sex workers themselves. [She] hits the major points of these huge topics and takes a powerful stance on the rights of sex workers. -- River H. Kero * Book Riot *

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Book Synopsis*A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021*'Raw, tender and urgent' Jessica Andrews, author of Saltwater'Irreducible. Once read, it will never be forgotten' Helen Mort, author of Division StreetThis is the story of an abortion. The days and hours before the first visit to the clinic and the weeks and months after.The pregnancy was a mistake and the narrator immediately arranges a termination. But a gulf yawns between politics and personal experience. The polarised public debate and the broader cultural silence did not prepare her for the physical event or the emotional aftermath. She finds herself compulsively telling people about the abortion (and counting those who know), struggling at work and researching the procedure. She feels alone in her pain and confusion.Part diary, part prose poem, part literary collage, Larger than an Orange is an uncompromising, intimate and original memoir. With raw precision and determined honesty, Lucy Burns carves out a new space for complexity, ambivalence and individual experience.'Lucy Burns' writing on choice and its aftermath is boldly innovative, achingly human, and powerfully vulnerable' Dr Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women'Rapturous, engrossing and beautifully impossible' Holly Pester, author of Comic TimingTrade ReviewA visceral account of an abortion that is praiseworthy not only for the conversations it will spark, but for its beautiful prose, emotional intensity and unabashed complexity... although there is no happy ending, the book's very existence is hopeful. The point is to start a conversation - and Larger Than an Orange will certainly do that -- Laura Hackett * Sunday Times *Boldly innovative, achingly human, and powerfully vulnerable -- Dr Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell WomenLarger Than an Orange provides us with vital nuance, and articulates emotions that feel unspoken, even to women... The importance of Burns's work lies in its permission-giving * Guardian *Rapturous, engrossing and beautifully impossible -- Holly Pester, author of Comic TimingPowerful * Harper's Bazaar *Irreducible. Once read, it will never be forgotten -- Helen MortParticularly courageous... propulsive -- Katherine Cowles * New Statesman *A formally innovative, unflinching story that offers a raw, tender and urgent contribution to a vital conversation about bodies, ownership, freedom and reproductive rights -- Jessica Andrews, author of Saltwater

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Book SynopsisA feminist history of Europe's largest red-light district and an examination of the lives of the women who worked there. Tucked away in Dublin's north inner city, Monto - purported to be Europe's biggest red-light district from 1860 to 1925 with up to 1600 sex workers at any one time - made headlines for wild tales of debauchery.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisMany of the academic refugees Esther Simpson helped rescue are well remembered. But who was she and why has history forgotten her?This is the story of Esther Simpson, a woman whose dedication to the cause of freedom in science and learning left an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape of the modern world.Esther Simpson - Tess to her friends - devoted her life to resettling academic refugees, whom she thought of as her family. By the end of her life, Simpson could count among her ''children'' sixteen Nobel Prize winners, eighteen Knights, seventy-four fellows of the Royal Society, thirty-four fellows of the British Academy. Her ''children'' made a major contribution to Allied victory in World War Two.From a humble upbringing in Leeds to Russian immigrant parents, Simpson took on secretarial roles that saw her move to Paris, Vienna and Geneva. But when Hitler assumed power in 1933, she took a job in London at the Academic Assistance CTrade ReviewThis is an extraordinary story of dedication and humanitarianism, superbly researched and clearly told. Eidinow tells numerous success stories, but doesn't ignore the darker side . . . a story of generosity, humanity and enormous achievement' -- David Herman * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisHow dominant culture?from sexism and homophobia to racism, capitalism, ableism, and more?has limited the science of animal behavior, and how we can free ourselves from these limited perspectives.In Feminism in the Wild, Ambika Kamath and Melina Packer reveal how scientists studying animal behavior have long projected human norms and values onto animals while seeking to understand them. When scientific studies conclude that these norms and values are natural in animals, it makes it easier to think of them as natural in humans too. And because scientists, historically and to this day, largely belong to elite, powerful segments of society, the norms and values embedded in animal behavior science match those of the already powerful. How can animal behavior science escape this trap of naturalizing dominant culture?Drawing from decades of feminist, antiracist, queer, disability justice, and Marxist contributions?including those of biologists?Kamath and Packer break down persistent assumptions in the status quo of animal behavior science and offer a multitude of alternative approaches. Core concepts in animal behavior science and evolutionary biology?from sex categories and sexual selection to fitness, adaptation, biological determinism, and more?are carefully contextualized and critically reexamined. This unique collaboration between an animal behavior scientist and a feminist science studies scholar is an illuminating and hopeful read for anyone who is curious about how animals behave, and anyone who wants to break free from scientific approaches that perpetuate systems of oppression.

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Book SynopsisA China Books Review Best China Book of 2023 Leta Hong Fincher''s landmark book Leftover Women shone a light on the resurgence of gender inequality in 21st-century China. Ten years on, women in China continue to experience a dramatic rolling back of rights and gains in the increasingly patriarchal political climate of the Xi Jinping era. Leftover Women explores the structural discrimination against women and the broader problems with China's economy, politics, and development that lie behind it. This updated edition includes a new preface exploring developments in China in the 10 years since the book''s original publication, including the new three child policy, the growth in online feminist and LGBTQ activism and the state''s increasingly repressive moves against dissent.Trade ReviewMakes a powerful — and provocative — argument that China’s female shortage, far from empowering women, has actually resulted in a situation where urban women’s rights are increasingly imperilled…Leftover Women [will] leave readers coldly angry. * LA Review of Books *A chilling account of the pressures on Chinese strivers… One hopes that Leftover Women will soon be translated into Chinese, as it is likely to resonate deeply with urban educated women. It seems the party has forgotten the Mao-era dictum: “Women Hold Up Half the Sky.” * The New York Times *Leta Hong Fincher's subject – researched through statistical analysis, sociological surveys and extensive first-hand interviewing – is the toxic vitality of sexism in China today…[Leftover Women] is scattered with inspiring life-stories of courageous women who have faced down appalling discrimination. * The Guardian *Leta Hong Fincher’s book was not only an instant classic, it was downright clairvoyant: Seeing what others miss, she foresaw a seismic shift in the public mood, which has intensified in the past decade. The revised edition is urgent reading; it holds essential insights into China’s economic and political future. * Evan Osnos, winner of the National Book Award, author of Age of Ambition *An eye-opening, groundbreaking book that cast light on critical yet overlooked changes in China - and which seems more timely than ever ten years on. * Tania Branigan, author of Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution *The past decade has time and again underlined the prescience of Leta Hong Fincher’s Leftover Women. This groundbreaking book made a powerful case for how state propaganda and cultural norms combined to exclude Chinese women from the wealth creation springing from the country’s rapid economic development. In this new version, Hong Fincher illustrates how women are beginning to fight back, and the obstacles lined up against them. This book is more relevant than ever to anyone who wants to understand China - read it and rage. * Louisa Lim, Author of Indelible City, and The People’s Republic of Amnesia *In lively and accessible prose, Hong Fincher demonstrates conclusively that urban professional women have been disproportionately disadvantaged during China’s breakneck economic development and largest wealth accumulation in human history. Hong Fincher exhaustively cites media, government statistics, her own interviews, and her Weibo survey results to substantiate the fact that gender inequality in China has reappeared with a vengeance and shows no signs of abating any time soon. * Rebecca E. Karl, New York University *Cast aside what you think you know about the “empowered” women of China today. Modern Chinese women are under pressure in a society that often locks them out of social equality, property rights, and legal protection from domestic abuse. This is the reality that China scholar Leta Hong Fincher puts forward in her study of resurgent gender inequality in China. Her book is a well-researched and riveting read, including a number of gripping personal accounts straight from China’s so-called “leftover women”. For any curious observer of China or women’s issues, this is one to read. * Kristie Lu Stout, anchor/correspondent, CNN International *Making the most of her experience as a journalist and her training in sociology, Leta Hong Fincher draws on previous breakthrough works in Chinese gender studies and her own interviews, while proving equally at home summarizing statistics and telling poignant tales of individual experience. The result is an engagingly written, thought-provoking work on a crucially important but often overlooked subject. Essential reading. * Jeffrey Wasserstrom, author of China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know *Table of ContentsPreface to the Revised Edition Introduction 1. China's 'Leftover' Women 2. How Chinese Women were Shut Out of the Biggest Accumulation of Real-Estate Wealth in History 3. China's Giant Gender Wealth Gap 4. Back to the Ming Dynasty 5. Wives Caught in China's Web of Abuse 6. Fighting Back Index

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Book SynopsisRegan Penaluna is a senior editor at Guernica Magazine, a global magazine of art and politics. Previously she was an editor at Nautilus magazine. She has also written for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Philosophy Now and The Philosophers' Magazine. Penaluna has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a PhD in philosophy from Boston University. She lives in Brooklyn.

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Book Synopsis'Jennifer's intelligence, compassion and experience as a psychotherapist make this a game-changer and a must-read for women and the men who love us.' Shaparak Khorsandi 'A revelation and resource for not just women, but everyone.' Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her and The Resilience MythWhat if you aren't depressed?What if you don't have chronic fatigue?What if you are just... angry?In a world where patience is a virtue and being a good girl is for life, women are never allowed to truly express their anger - and it is making us ill. After a lifetime of being told to repress it, to hide it away and fear it, anger has begun to manifest in female bodies in myriad ways we can't control. And the results are alarming. In this powerful and eye-opening book, psychotherapist Jennifer Cox takes us on a journey from cradle to grave revealing how, at every stage of our lives, women are

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Book SynopsisYour period has power. Embrace your natural cycle, work with your hormones and connect to the innate feminine wisdom of your menstrual cycle.Your period is way more than PMS, carb cravings and lady rage - it's actually a 4-part lady code that, once cracked, will uncover a series of monthly superpowers that can be used to enhance your relationships with others, build a better business, have incredible sex and create a 'bloody' amazing life.Code Red, from the Creatrix of www.thesassyshe.com, Lisa Lister, is a call to action. A rallying cry that dares you to explore, navigate and most importantly, love your lady landscape.You'll learn how to live and work in complete alignment with the rhythms of nature, the moon and your menstrual cycle, be inspired by insights from Wise + Wild Women like Meggan Watterson, Alexandra Pope and Uma Dinsmore Tuli, and gain access to easy-to-follow strategies and SHE Flow yoga practices. You'll be invited to connect with your true nature as a woman, tap into the transformational power of your innate feminine wisdom and use your menstrual cycle as an ever-unfolding map to crack your lady code.

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Book SynopsisExistentialism was one of the leading philosophical movements of the twentieth century. Focusing on its seven leading figures, Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty and Camus, this Very Short Introduction provides a clear account of the key themes of the movement which emphasized individuality, free will, and personal responsibility in the modern world. Drawing in the movement''s varied relationships with the arts, humanism, and politics, this book clarifies the philosophy and original meaning of ''existentialism'' - which has tended to be obscured by misappropriation. Placing it in its historical context, Thomas Flynn also highlights how existentialism is still relevant to us today.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. Philosophy as a Way of Life ; 2. Becoming an Individual ; 3. Humanism, For and Against ; 4. Authenticity ; 5. A Chastened Individualism? Existentialism and Social Thought ; 6. What is Living and What is Dead in Existentialist Thought?

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Book Synopsis"Girls are powerful": the ?70s feminist posters of See Red Women?s WorkshopA feminist silkscreen poster collective founded in London in 1974 by three former art students, the See Red Women?s Workshop grew out of a shared desire to combat sexist images of women and to create positive and challenging alternatives. Women from different backgrounds came together to make posters and calendars that tackled issues of sexuality, identity and oppression. With humor and bold, colorful graphics, See Red expressed the personal experiences of women as well as their role in wider struggles for change.Written by See Red members, detailing the group?s history up until the closure of the workshop in 1990, and with a foreword by celebrated feminist historian Sheila Rowbotham, See Red Women?s Workshop features all of the collective?s original screenprints and posters. Confronting negative stereotypes, questioning the role of women in society, and promoting women?s self-determination, the power and energy of these images reflect an important and dynamic era of women?s liberation?with continued relevance for today.

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Book SynopsisFrom the Booker-shortlisted author of The Mars Room, a career-spanning collection of spectacular essays about politics and culture.In The Hard Crowd, Rachel Kushner gathers a selection of her writing from over the course of the last twenty years that addresses the most pressing political, artistic, and cultural issues of our times - and illuminates the themes and real-life terrain that underpin her fiction.In razor-sharp essays spanning literary journalism, memoir, cultural criticism, and writing about art and literature, Kushner takes us from Jeff Koons and Marguerite Duras to a Palestinian refugee camp, from her love of classic cars to her young life in the music scene of San Francisco. The closing, eponymous essay is her manifesto on nostalgia, doom, and writing.'I'm glad to taste something this sharp, this smart' Olivia Laing'Wild, wide-ranging and unsparingly intelligent throughout' Vogue'An exciting book... Kushner writes from the inside out and gives us the true story, the real deal' Kevin Barry, New Statesman, Books of the YearTrade ReviewThe Hard Crowd is wild, wide-ranging and unsparingly intelligent throughout. * Vogue *One of America's most exciting writers . . . A brilliant collection of art and literary criticism, reportage, and autobiography. * Daily Telegraph *She writes as well as any writer alive about the pleasure of a good motor doing what it was designed to do . . . Cool and wise, with real power and control . . . This book has a real gallery of souls . . . As strong a statement about artistic purpose and sensibility as I've read in a while. -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *She seems to work with a muse and a nail gun, so surprisingly yet forcefully do her sentences pin reality to the page. -- Kathryn Schulz * New York Magazine *I honestly don't know how she is able to know so much (about motorcycle racing, Italian radical politics) and convey all of it in such a completely entertaining and mesmerizing way. -- George Saunders

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Book SynopsisWho gets to shape the narrative of our times? The current moment is a battle over that foundational power. Women, people of colour and non-straight people are telling other versions, and white men in particular are fighting to preserve their own centrality. In this outstanding collection of essays by one of the most prescient and insightful commentators today, Solnit appraises the voices that are emerging, why they matter and the obstacles they face in making themselves heard.

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Book SynopsisTerrific and timely' Elizabeth Day'Stories that will make you cringe, weep and laugh out loud'Scarlett Curtis Brilliant, informative and funny.'Jennifer SaundersPassionate, informed and thought-provoking.' Jane Garvey Clever, useful and wise. Read it. Pass it on to your daughters. And then to your sons.' Fi GloverCuts right through all the myths and embarrassment with searing facts, honesty and, perhaps more importantly, humour. A bleeding good read.'Yomi Adegoke Revised and updated with a new chapterIn this frank, funny rallying cry, Emma Barnett shares her story, as well as those of others, to ask why we've clammed up about menstruation. She'll make you laugh, weep, and maybe squirm, about the natural process that nobody talks about, and smash this taboo once and for all.Because it's about bloody time.Period.Trade Review‘Empowering and liberating’ The Daily Telegraph ‘I wish this book had been written before I stopped having them. I might have enjoyed them more! It’s brilliant, informative and funny. Period.’ Jennifer Saunders ‘I want to hear what Emma Barnett says about everything, and this terrific and timely book proves to be no exception.’ Elizabeth Day ‘A brilliant, myth-busting, funny and poignant book.’ Helen Pankhurst ‘Why has it taken so long for this powerful, fearless book to be written?’ Emma Freud ‘Uniquely funny and forthright.’ Pandora Sykes ‘Passionate, informed and thought-provoking.’ Jane Garvey ‘A must read for everyone. Period.’ Kirsty Wark ‘Clever, useful and wise. Read it. Pass it on to your daughters. And then to your sons.’ Fi Glover ‘Emma cuts right through all the myths and embarrassment with searing facts, honesty and, perhaps more importantly, humour. A bleeding good read.’ Yomi Adegoke ‘A fascinating and heartfelt read’ Red

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Book SynopsisA litany of fresh heroes to make the embattled heart sing' Caitlin MoranNewman is a brilliant writer' ObserverA fresh, opinionated history of all the brilliant women you should have learned about in school but didn't.For hundreds of years we have heard about the great men of history, but what about herstory?In this freewheeling history of modern Britain, Cathy Newman writes about the pioneering women who defied the odds to make careers for themselves and alter the course of modern history; women who achieved what they achieved while dismantling hostile, entrenched views about their place in society. Their role in transforming Britain is fundamental, far greater than has generally been acknowledged, and not just in the arts or education but in fields like medicine, politics, law, engineering and the military.While a few of the women in this book are now household names, many have faded into oblivion, their personal and collective achievements mere footnotes in history. We know of EmmeliTrade Review‘Newman is a riveting teller of history. We are given an insight into the lives of women from Queen Victoria to the suffragists and suffragettes fighting for franchise, political pioneers and present day female advocates of the arts … A celebration of women who helped shape modern Britain – as entertaining as it is enlightening … Newman is a brilliant writer; each chapter throws up something even more interesting than the last and the prose shifts seamlessly between them … I could read a whole second volume’ Hannah Jane Parkinson, Observer ‘Modern, punchy and fresh. A pacy compendium of fascinating nuggets’ Katie Glass, Sunday Times ‘For far too long, women’s achievements have been airbrushed out of history. In this groundbreaking book, the first of its kind, Cathy Newman has done a bloody brilliant job of painting them back in bright, vivid colours. She has repaid the debt due by all of us to women pioneers of the past and created a treasure trove of inspiration for women of today and tomorrow. I just wish this book had been written when I was growing up.’ Nicola Sturgeon ‘Powerful, poignant and often provoking – this book shines a light on the contribution of women of all ages, ethnicities, faiths and backgrounds who have helped to make our city and country so great. Cathy Newman narrates the stories of women who have helped shape the world in which we live today, by challenging gender stereotypes, smashing glass ceilings and blazing a trail for the next generation to follow. Eloquently written and hugely enjoyable to read.’ Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London ‘Brilliant, enlightening, and a powerful reminder of the extraordinary and sustained courage of the women who fought against overwhelming odds for equality of opportunity, for rights and respect. This book is so important. No library, no school or university, should be without a copy.’ Michael Morpurgo

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Book SynopsisSea Statemarks the arrival of a gifted and exciting new voice' Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13SHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE PORTICO PRIZEA GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF 2021'It's extraordinary. It takes you places so few books do'ObserverAcidic, addictive reporting with a fictional veneer. Sea State's writing alone is worth the admission price'Financial TimesTabitha Lasley left her job, her relationship and London, and headed to Aberdeen to meet offshore oil rig workers. She wanted to see what men are like with no women around. She soon finds out what she is like with no one else around, save for itinerant men who spend half their lives stranded in the middle of the sea. Alone, and contemplating the wreckage of her former life, she dives into a relationship with the first rig worker she meets, a reckless affair that lays them both bare.She has the skill, a Joan Didion kind of skill, of inflecting non-fiction material subjectively, a habit of assessing situations via her nervous system' Andrew O'Hagan, author of MayfliesTrade Review'A breathtaking memoir … The prose is stunning: gimlet-eyed and brutal' Tomiwa Owolade, Sunday Times, Books of the Year ‘Contemporary writing at its finest, without any hint of effort, egoism or pretentiousness on Lasley’s part. She is an astoundingly good writer, and this is an astoundingly good book’ Irish Times 'These are powerful and moving stories of working lives in a dangerous and all-male environment, made all the more powerful by the way Lasley refuses to absent herself from the telling. The writing is carefully and unobtrusively polished, with hard edges and unflinching clarity … Sea State marks the arrival of a gifted and exciting new voice’ Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13 ‘It’s extraordinary. It takes you places so few books do … it gets inside the heads that are mostly ignored by publishing’ Observer ‘A startlingly original study of love, masculinity and the cost of a profession that few outside of it can truly understand’ Guardian ‘She has the skill, a Joan Didion kind of skill, of inflecting non-fiction material subjectively, a habit of assessing situations via her nervous system … Sea State has all the presentness of fiction, as well as the exactitude of the non-fiction novel and the gleam of confession’ Andrew O’Hagan, author of Mayflies, LRB ‘Acidic, addictive reporting with a fictional veneer. Sea State’s writing alone is worth the admission price’ Financial Times ‘A powerful blend of journalism and memoir … Beautifully written, disquieting, it reminds me of Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women’ David Nicholls, author of Sweet Sorrow 'Piercing, brutally candid, addictive. A memoir like no other … If you were gripped by Lisa Taddeo's Three Women, this is for you' Rachel Cooke, author of Her Brilliant Career ‘Incredibly compelling’ Sarah Hall, author of Burntcoat

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Book SynopsisFrom ‘one of the greatest writers of our time’ (Toni Morrison) – the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God and Barracoon – a collection of remarkable short stories from the Harlem Renaissance With a foreword by Tayari Jones, author of An American MarriageTrade Review‘wickedly funny’ THE OBSERVER NEW REVIEW ‘Published in one gorgeous volume for the first time … [these] stories are fascinating, harrowing and beautifully written’ Stylist ‘this collection reaffirms [Hurston’s] status as a truly visionary writer.’ Vogue UK ‘the rediscovery of [Hurston’s] work has been one of the literary joys of recent decades.’ The Financial Times ‘Illuminating’, ‘every day is a good day to read Zora Neale Hurston’s brilliant writing’ REFINERY29 ‘[A] jewel of the Harlem Renaissance’ New Statesman ‘Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick … helps illuminate Hurston’s path to iconic status’ ‘Add [Hurston’s] matchless powers of observation, exemplary fidelity to idiomatic speech and irresistible engagement with folklore, and the outcome is a collection of value to more than Hurston completists. Any addition to her awe-inspiring oeuvre should be met with open arms.’ New York Times Book Review ‘Fans and scholars of Hurston’s work and the uninitiated alike will find many delights in these complex, thoughtful and wickedly funny portraits of black lives and communities… [this] is a significant testament to the enduring resonance of black women’s writing.’ Washington Post ‘Decades on, this new collection is a powerful reminder of [Zora Neale Hurston’s] lasting resonance.’ Time Magazine ‘Fluid, polymathic voice; what a class act’ Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times Praise for Barracoon ‘A searing reminder of how recently American slavery ended, and the depth of the pain it caused’ The Economist ‘A deeply affecting record of an extraordinary life’ Daily Telegraph ‘Barracoon and its long path to print is a testament to Zora’s singular vision amid so many competing pressures that continue to put us at war with ourselves’ Huffington Post

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Book SynopsisWhy is gender equality essential?June Sarpong proves why eradicating sexism is key to our personal development, and social and economic progress. With new chapters on reclaiming power over women's bodies and their safety, this updated edition is a comprehensive guide to promoting inclusivity.Because the truth is, equality benefits us all. Praise for June Sarpong's Diversify:June Sarpong examines the research behind diversity and discrimination while grounding them in personal narratives, highlighting our common humanity.' Kofi Annan, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace PrizeI am so glad June Sarpong is working on this matter of diversity.' Desmond TutuA passionately written polemic You MagazineAn engaging read with lots of important and good ideas' StylistMay prove to be our handbook to negotiate these troubled times' PsychologiesTrade ReviewPraise for Diversify ‘Engaging and informative … June Sarpong examines the research behind diversity and discrimination while grounding them in personal narratives, highlighting our common humanity.’ Kofi Annan, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize ‘I am so glad June Sarpong is working on this matter of diversity. We don't seem to know how to handle differences. When will we learn that we share one common humanity as Shakespeare's Shylock declared so eloquently?’ Desmond Tutu ‘My experiences during the Holocaust has led me on a lifetime mission to promote the benefits of diversity … telling my story and that of my step-sister Anne Frank and why civil society must do all it can to protect and celebrate our diversity. Diversify helps us take the first steps on the journey to tolerance.’ Eva Schloss MBE “A passionately written polemic” You Magazine ‘How boring would life be without diversity? A case of the bland leading the bland. Life would be pretty … dull without [my autistic son’s] literal, lateral, tangential take on the world … Mozart, Orwell, Van Gough, Warhol and many other amazing artists, scientists and musicians were on the autistic spectrum. And yet only 15% of autistic people are in the workforce. If only we would learn to think outside the neurotypical box’ Kathy Lette ‘An engaging read with lots of important and good ideas’ Stylist ‘May prove to be our handbook to negotiate these troubled times’ Psychologies

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Book SynopsisWriting in an age when the call for the rights of man had brought revolution to America and France, Mary Wollstonecraft produced her own declaration of female independence in 1792. Passionate and forthright, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman attacked the prevailing view of docile, decorative femininity, and instead laid out the principles of emancipation: an equal education for girls and boys, an end to prejudice, and for women to become defined by their profession, not their partner. Mary Wollstonecraft''s work was received with a mixture of admiration and outrage - Walpole called her ''a hyena in petticoats'' - yet it established her as the mother of modern feminism.Trade Review"We hear [Mary Wollstonecraft's] voice and trace her influence even now among the living."

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Book SynopsisA collection of Sojourner Truth''s iconic words, including her famous speech at the 1851 Women''s Rights Convention in Akron, OhioA former slave and one of the most powerful orators of her time, Sojourner Truth fought for the equal rights of black women throughout her life. This selection of her impassioned speeches is accompanied by the words of other inspiring African-American female campaigners from the nineteenth century.Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives--and upended them. Now Penguin brings you a new set of the acclaimed Great Ideas, a curated library of selections from the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

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Book Synopsis''Satisfyingly dark, cleverly plotted and pleasingly Donna Tarttish'' Emma Flint, Little Deaths''Seamlessly blends Gone Girl and Promising Young Woman. Smart, sophisticated, seductive'' S J Watson, Before I Go To SleepSunday Times BestsellerShortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year 2023Longlisted for the McIlvanney PrizeOne of Cosmopolitan''s Best Books for 2023------In there, them, us, it's everything you've ever wanted, and you're going to love it.I promise. I'll look after you.All her life Clare has never fit in.So when she arrives at Edinburgh University, she seizes the chance to reinvent herself.Then she meets Tabitha who is everything she's not: charismatic, dazzling and intimidatingly wealthy.Soon Clare is sucked into Tabitha's enigmatic circle of friends, and it's all she hoped it would be. Until it's not.Because they are not all they seem.And they've been waiting for Clare.With friends like these, who needs enemies?An intoxicating feminist page-turner with shades of The Secret History and Promising Young Woman, this novel will take youon a journey from Edinburgh''s dazzling spires to the dripping staircases and dark alleyways of its underbelly.------''Startlingly lovely, like a fine, dark silk shivering on your skin'' Julia Heaberlin, We Are All the Same in the Dark''Perfect for fans of dark academia stories like The Secret History and If We Were Villains'' Cosmopolitan''A deeply compelling story of friendships turned rotten'' Rosemary Hennigan, The Truth Will Out''Darwent has a great career as a thriller writer ahead of her'' Sunday Times''Dark academia and twisted friendships in gothic Edinburgh - what more could you want?'' Cailean Steed, Home''Creepy yet compulsive, this impressive novel will stay with you long after reading'' Heat''Dark and compulsive, this will have you turning the pages late into the night'' Sarah Bonner, Her Perfect Twin''Themes of obsession, revenge and desire collide in a twisty, dark and delicious feminist thriller'' Big Issue''An intriguing and complex heroine'' Phoebe Wynne, Madam''Darwent keeps the reader guessing. Any time the balance of power appears to settle, the plot takes another twist'' Scotland on Sunday''Such an immersive, surprising, impressive debut'' Niamh Hargan, Twelve Days In May''Power, privilege and the most toxic of friendships. All set against the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh'' Carys Jones, The ListSunday Times bestseller, January 2023Trade ReviewSeamlessly blends Gone Girl and Promising Young Woman. Smart, sophisticated, seductive' -- S J Watson, Before I Go To SleepSatisfyingly dark, cleverly plotted and pleasingly Donna Tarttish -- Emma Flint, Little DeathsPerfect for fans of dark academia stories like The Secret History and If We Were Villains -- CosmopolitanDarwent has a great career as a thriller writer ahead of her' -- Sunday Times

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