Happy International Women’s Day!
In the spirit of celebrating the achievements of all those women who have gone before us, and of demanding a better world for us all, I recommend to you three essential reads to undertake this March, Women’s History Month.
The World’s Wife – Carol Ann Duffy
Each poem in this collection from the former national Poet Laureate seeks to turn patriarchal storytelling on its head by giving voice to the women behind famous men. From the exasperated humour of Darwin’s wife battling her husband’s obsession with monkeys, to the heart-rending despair of ancient Greek goddess Demeter as she pines for her abducted daughter Persephone, Duffy humanises these women who have for so long been relegated to footnotes in the histories of men.
Wide Sargasso Sea – Jean Rhys
Another interpretation of a classic here, Rhys tells the unsung story of Bertha Mason, the infamous ‘madwoman in the attic’ from Jane Eyre. This is a great read for those interested in intersectionality; Bertha’s experience as a British colonial subject in the West Indies is finally explored, as well as how her womanhood and class status affects this. I love Jane Eyre, but Wide Sargasso Sea refreshingly gives Bertha her much-needed and long-overdue recognition and respect as a character.
Everywoman: One Woman’s Truth About Speaking the Truth – Jess Phillips
This memoir by self-proclaimed ‘gobby MP’ Jess Phillips is both sobering and empowering. Phillips sets out to speak the truth in this tell-all and extremely personal book, a goal which she achieves with flying colours. She takes us through her childhood, her school days, her work at a women’s crisis centre and everything that shaped her into the feminist politician that she is today. Phillips’ writing style is raw and succinct, calling all women and their loved ones to speak out and keep fighting.
Get reading! Remember, knowledge is power, and stories teach us so much.