A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
‘When, however, one reads of a witch being ducked, of a woman possessed by devils, of a wise woman selling herbs, or even of a very remarkable man who had a mother, then I think we are on the track of a lost novelist, a suppressed poet, of some mute and inglorious Jane Austen, some Emily Bronte who dashed her brains out on the moor or mopped and mowed about the highways crazed with the torture that her gift had put her to. Indeed, I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.’
Every single woman should read this. I originally read it whilst studying for my Literature degree, and as a writer myself, it struck a chord and her words have stayed with me, always. It is the essence of Virginia Woolf herself, and I turn to it when I feel rejected, downtrodden, or if I begin to doubt that my work is good enough. This is Woolf’s homage to the spirit of heroines in history who may have written poems, novels, plays, stories, songs and ballads but were forced to remain anonymous as it was unacceptable for women to write. What if Shakespeare had an equally talented sister, but she could never have been as successful as Shakespeare himself because she was a woman, and woman were not allowed to write? She ends the essay by urging women and men to pick up their pen and write, and to banish the limits of gender identity and write with an androgynous mind instead.
The Equality Illusion by Kat Banyard
Women have made huge strides in equality over the last century. And feminism is now generally considered irrelevant, or old-fashioned, or even embarrassing. But what about the fact that today women working full-time in the UK are paid on average 17% less an hour than men? That one in three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused because of her gender?
This book is a few years old now, but is still one of the best books I’ve read about feminism today and the history of. The statistics and research are solid, and it explores the position of women in the UK in areas such as education, work, domestic violence, body image, sex and abortion rights. It’s entirely relevant and written concisely, cleverly and clearly. It’s a really good read, especially if you’re new to identifying as a feminist. It’s a great starter book and Banyard explains everything from grassroots feminism to current day, and how basically every single area of women’s lives are still affected by casual, deep-seated sexism. It’s the perfect book to get you really thinking about modern day feminism, and makes you realise that sexism is not dead. Banyard describes this idea that sexism no longer exists in our society as the ‘Equality Illusion’. This book is an invaluable feminist manifesto for the women of today.
Sisterhood Interrupted by Deborah Siegel
Contrary to clichés about the end of feminism, Deborah Siegel argues that younger women are reliving the battles of its past, and reinventing it–with a vengeance. From feminist blogging to the popularity of the WNBA, girl culture is on the rise. A lively and compelling look back at the framing of one of the most contentious social movements of our time, Sisterhood, Interrupted exposes the key issues still at stake, outlining how a twenty-first century feminist can reconcile the personal with the political and combat long-standing inequalities that continue today.
I found this book hugely helpful in sorting out all the confused and conflicting stereotypes I may have absorbed about feminism. It’s a great summary of second and third wave feminism and it gave me the knowledge to confidently explain the history of feminism to those who question the word and what it means. It lays out the history of the movement, covering the important events of the 60’s and 70’s, and continuing to present day. The most important thing I learned from this book is that feminism has never been a single, united force as some believe. It explains the entirety of the issues that have existed within feminism itself – the internal conflict over which fights are worth fighting, the best methods to coerce change, and what feminism actually means. There is no one type of feminism, and it isn’t about one single point of view all women who claim the label ‘feminist’ share. This book really teaches you that there are many different kinds of feminism, and that it’s okay to find your own place within the movement.
Fiona Reads 