It’s that time of year again; where the misogynistic men come out and ask when their day is (November 18th by the way), otherwise known as International Women’s Day. As IWD is all about inspiring, empowering and lifting other women, we’ve collected our favourite books that do just that. Here are our top six books for International Womens Day.
We Should All Be Feminists – Chimamanda Adichie
The first of our books for International Womens Day is “We should all be feminists”. Both of us have read this. Lots. It’s a fabulous book of anecdotes and personal tales explaining why it is important for us to consider the fact that we all need to be feminists. As a follow up to her TEDtalk, this book is a short and sweet essay that you should buy all of your friends. Male and female, particularly male.
100 Nasty Women of History – Hannah Jewell
The second of our books for international womens day is the 100 nasty women of history. This is a book that Jess loved to dip into, one story a night before bed. It led to sweet dreams of power and greatness anyway! The book is split into sections – women that ruled, women that defied, women that fought, invented and revolutionised. It’s brilliantly funny, historically accurate to the extent that it needs to be to keep it light. It’s not suitable for under 16s, it’s quite sexy in places with slightly more adult humour, but that’s what makes it so great!
Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere – Jeannette Winterson
Another essay – short and sweet. This one of our books for international womens day is a glimpse into the past of things that have changed and a look to the future of the things that need to. The title, from Emmeline Pankhurst’s speech to women whilst fighting for the vote. It recognises how far women have come in the last 100 years. It also examines recent women’s rights movements; the worlds of politics; technology and social media and changes in the law; to explore all the ways in which women still face discrimination and disadvantage. Like the women who won the right to vote, we need to shout up, reach out, be courageous and finish the job.
Life Lessons From Remarkable Women – Stylist Magazine
Although not necessarily one of our normal reads, Jess bought this for a student in her final A level class and ended up getting herself a copy too. This is the only one of our books for international womens day that has multiple authors. Stylist magazine asked 25 powerful women in creative businesses what their one tip from their life they would share with others would be, and the book is the result of that. A great read, especially for those looking at starting their own business and getting creative!
Little Black Book: A Toolkit for Working Women – Otegha Uwagba
This book stays on Jess’ desk constantly. It is an essential handbook for working women, particularly in the creative industries. This one of our books for international womens day is non-fiction to the point of it being a step-by-step guide. Whether you’re just starting out or already have years of experience, the book is full to the brim of fresh ideas and practical advice. It’s also perfect for carrying about with you everywhere. It takes you through everything you need to build a successful self-made career: from how to negotiate a payrise; to building a killer personal brand; via a crash course in networking like a pro; and tips for overcoming creative block. Plus Little Black Book is full of indispensable advice on how to thrive as a freelancer, and an entire chapter dedicated to helping you master the tricky art of public speaking.
Women and Power: A Manifesto – Mary Beard
In this book, historian Mary Beard presents a bold manifesto for women’s liberty. In this she explores the deep roots of misogyny and offers a revolutionary roadmap for change. From Medusa to Merkel, this wise and unapologetic book explores the cultural underpinning of misogyny. In one of the more powerful books for international womens day, Mary Beard examines our cultural assumptions about women’s relationship with power, and how powerful women resist being packaged into a male template.
Let us know what other books we should be adding to our collection of inspirational and empowering books!
