This is a blog post we didn’t expect to be writing in Feminist Dystopia month. As you’re probably aware, anti-abortion laws have recently been passed in Alabama and Georgia in the US, with Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ohio now following suit. We are, of course, already aware of the same conditions in place for people in Northern Ireland, and this …
By Molly Masters The raw and violent depictions of violence against women in the serialisation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale was enough to make viewers look away. However, the book, and indeed the TV series alike, were based on Atwood’s actual research of reproductive violence across the world. As uncomfortable and troubling the subject matter may seem, and overwhelming …
By Becca Bashford “My strongest desire through life has been to be educated. I found the most exquisite pleasure in reading and as we had no library, I read every book which came in my way, and I longed for more.” Sarah Parker Remond, June 1861 It’s no secret that the triumphs and achievements of many women, particularly black women, …
By Riziki Millanzi In 1995, Octavia E Butler became the first Science-Fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, unofficially nicknamed in America the ‘Genius Grant’. During her life, she won not only one or two, but multiple Hugo and Nebula awards. Butler’s writing has paved the way for Black women writers. From Nnedi Okorafor who was told to ‘stay away …
It’s Black Women’s History Month, and we need to get to work. Follow these amazing women to learn more about destabilising racism in our communities and how we can further support black women. Rachel Cargle is a writer and lecturer “building an intellectual legacy by storytelling, public teaching, and critical discourse”. She uses her social media platform to discuss toxic …
By Joanne Norris Their Eyes Were Watching God could so easily have never reached us. Falling into obscurity, forgotten a little more each day as its original readership drops off and its pages are left unturned. But what would we do without stories like this? How would our lives be different by not having access to this work? Each time …
“Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.” – Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston was a writer that had long fascinated the Books That Matter team. We were endlessly curious about her story, her life, and her much …
It was just an off-hand conversation that sparked the idea for the ‘Forgotten Women’ box. “When did you first realise that most of what you read and learned about was by white men?” For me, it was studying English Literature at university. Before then, I hadn’t really given a second thought to who was writing the books that I loved. …
This week, we celebrated International Women’s Day, an awareness day recognised annually on March 8th. It is a day to celebrate the achievements, contributions and acceleration of women across social, cultural, economical and political fields. But it wasn’t always hashtags, special offers, and selfies. Whilst the recognised celebration is a beautiful one, International Women’s Day came as a result of …
by Joanne Norris Throughout history, literature has been an important vessel not just for entertainment, but as a way of experiencing the world. Whether it’s contemplating complex emotions and relationships or responding to current events, literature helps us see. It reflects the world back, giving us insight into experiences different to our own; experiences that have the power to dramatically …
