Inspiring women
Looking for inspiring reading recommendations? We’re celebrating the women and books that have inspired us, whether they’re iconic literary works, historical figures or everyday heroines. Read on to discover some inspiring reads and learn a bit more about what inspires some of the selection panel behind The Feminist Book Box.
Carys Homer – Production Editor, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
What book has inspired you the most?
The most inspiring book that I’ve read recently is A People’s History of Heaven by Mathangi Subramanian which tells the story of five girls – each from a different background – coming of age together in a Bangalore slum that’s about to be torn down. Despite this premise, the book was unceasingly joyful, especially in its portrayals of female friendship, the unwavering support the five main characters had for one another, and the resilience of all the women featured throughout.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
Call me a cliché, but my biggest inspiration has to be my Mom (spelled with an o, the West Midlands way!). I definitely have her to thank for my love of books and reading as she instilled it into me from birth; I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. My other big inspiration is Taylor Swift, but I’m sure she won’t mind coming in second place, just this once.
Aphra Le Levier-Bennet – Publishing Trainee, Hodder & Stoughton
What book has inspired you the most?
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall is a book that has inspired me, reinforced the importance of applying feminism in all aspects of your life and shown me how wide-ranging feminist issues are. Kendall talks about food insecurity, education, violence, medical care and much more from an intersectional feminist perspective that I had not read or considered before. She details the importance of ensuring that race should be a conversation that is had in all modern feminist movements in order to ensure that no woman is left behind.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
Audre Lorde is also massive inspiration for me as she was always herself in an unapologetic way. This was clear in her book Sister, Outsider which is one of my favourite books. I think the popularity of her books shows how relevant her words still are today.
Lea Albrechtesen – Senior Desk Editor, Hodder Education
What book has inspired you the most?
Ain’t I a Woman? by bell hooks. I’m slightly ashamed to admit that in my fervent feminist youth, I did not consider the intersection between gender and race in any meaningful way. So, when I read bell hooks’ words, ‘When black people are talked about the focus tends to be on black men; and when women are talked about the focus tends to be on white women’, my worldview changed dramatically and I had to reassess my place in the world to make my feminism more intersectional.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
It might sound counter intuitive, but I am genuinely inspired by ordinary people; the ones who aren’t and, more importantly, don’t need to be extraordinary. Most of us are pretty average people, but that doesn’t mean we’re not great. The ordinary can be absolutely breath-taking!
Rose Green – Assistant Editor, MacLehose Press
What book has inspired you the most?
It feels almost impossible to choose just one book – I don’t think I’d work in publishing if I wasn’t inspired by all sorts of books! – but probably Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle, which I first read as a child and have returned to countless times. It’s funny and playful and creative in all the best ways, but also reminds me that resilience can come from the most unexpected of places.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
My friends inspire me in all sorts of ways, whether it’s in the strength and vulnerability they show, in their ambition and work ethic, or in the ways they find to make me laugh even on the worst days.
Aimee Walsh – Bookouture
What book has inspired you the most?
Rebecca Solnit – Men Explain Things To Me And Other Essays
Audre Lorde – Your Silence Will Not Protect You
Who is your biggest inspiration?
I am most inspired by activists Angela Davis and Bernadette Devlin-McAliskey. Both are revolutionary feminist activists involved in the Civil Rights Movements in 1960s in America and Ireland, respectively, and have continued to advocate for equality right through to the present day.
Bethany Creamer – Rights Assistant, Hachette Children’s Group
What book has inspired you the most?
The book that has inspired me the most is Know My Name by Chanel Miller. In this raw and unflinching memoir, Miller waives her anonymity to write openly about her experience of sexual assault on the Stanford University campus in 2015 and the subsequent trial. I vividly remember reading Miller’s anonymous victim impact statement on BuzzFeed News just after the trial in 2016 because it had a profound impact on me. I found her memoir even more moving, particularly because I listened to the audiobook, which is beautifully narrated by Miller herself. A searing indictment of rape culture on campus and the unfairness of the criminal justice system, Know My Name is a painful but necessary read. It is a story of resilience that follows Miller on her journey to rebuild her life after experiencing severe trauma.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration is my grandma, who is a talented artist and printmaker. She has always been very creative, but she only started formally studying art, taking part in exhibitions, and selling her artwork later in life. She taught me that it’s never too late to pursue your passions. Her work hangs proudly on the walls of my flat and looking at it always reminds me of home.