Do you ever feel like broadening the horizons of your feminist knowledge but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.
These are just five of the books that have inspired me on my journey to becoming a more understanding and intersectional feminist. I chose to include texts from more recent feminist authors as many beginner feminists may be acquainted with older feminist works, such as Simone De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex and A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft.
Without further ado, here are the top five feminist texts you should be reading:
1. Witches, Sluts and Feminists: Conjuring The Sex Positive by Kristin J.Sollée
Sollée uses this book to trace the lineage of “witch feminism” by looking at the prosecution of women from the witch trials to slut shaming. She also discusses modern debates around reproductive rights, sexuality and pleasure, queer identities, pornography and sex work.
2. The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls by Mona Eltahawy
Mona Eltahawy’s fabulous book is a feminist manifesto teaching women (along with gender non-conforming and non-binary individuals) to harness their power and anger to destroy the patriarchy.
3. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
We Should All Be Feminists is a book-length essay adapted from Chimamanda’s Tedx talk of the same name. She offers a personal definition of what 21st-century feminism is and what it means to be a woman. Referring to her own experiences of discrimination and marginalisation, Chimamanda delivers an incredible perspective that all modern feminists should acknowledge.
4. A Bigger Picture by Vanessa Nakate
Climate activist Vanessa Nakate discusses the realities of being a young Ugandan woman fighting the climate crisis and how her story differs from the white activists. Although not solely about feminism, her motivation and fearlessness prove her to be a brilliant woman who has control of her power and has utilised it to transform the world.
5. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
In this collection of essays, Roxane Gay discusses being a feminist while still enjoying things that are considered feminine or against feminist ideology. She acknowledges that as we grow as women, so does our feminism.
Featured Image Credit: “Woman reading a book. Legs up the wall pose.” by shixart1985 is licensed under CC PDM 1.0 via Creative Commons.
BA (Hons) Film, Media and Journalism graduate. Freelance Journalist for Brig Newspaper and Entertainment Daily. Head of Social Media for Brig Newspaper.
Passionate about diversity, inclusion and representation.
