Here’s To Strong Women

Despite having attended an all girls’ school, my life is and always has been dominated by men. I have always been closest to my dad and my brother (my heroes and my best friends), I’ve had serious long-term relationships with three great guys, and 99% of my friends are male – in fact, I can’t name one woman that I talk to on a daily or even regular basis.

A recent cervical cancer scare and the birth of my nephew last month has had me thinking about womanhood a lot lately, more specifically motherhood. And reading Her Body and Other Parties in January has also brought the matter of the female experience to the forefront of my mind. So in honour of International Women’s Day (and because it’s ridiculous that women only get a day) I’ve decided that I will only be reading female writers this month.

New female writers that I’m reading in March:
Leïla Slimani, Rachel Kushner, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Slumflower (thanks to Lauren @ This Stuff is Golden for the recommendation), Esmé Weijun Wang (who is my new literary crush), and Jen Beagin.

And some old favourites of mine, incredible women who never fail to inspire me:
Simone de Beauvoir, Patti Smith, Joan Didion, Audre Lorde, Siri Hustvedt, Angela Carter, Sandra Cisneros, Wisława Szymborska, Zadie Smith, Mary Gaitskill, and Clarice Lispector.

Feel free to join me in reading only female authors for the month of March. Or leave a comment telling me who your favourite women writers are – recommendations are always welcome!

Here’s to strong women ♥