Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and Other Lies is testament to the power and positivity of the feminist movement. Created and curated by downright feminist superstar Scarlett Curtis, the book is more than just a collection of essays. It’s living and breathing feminism happening right now. Some of the writers you’ll recognise, with brilliantly honest and fiery contributions from the likes of Dolly Alderton and Jameela Jamil. But it’s the other names, the ones you’ve not heard of before, which will have you bursting at the seams with pride. Because women all over the world are smashing the patriarchy... Every. Single. Day. I felt a renewed sense of determination reading the epiphany stories, red hot rage at the injustices recounted, an overwhelming sense of joy celebrating the victories and spurred on to fight the battles to come. There’s a tenacious honestly to all of the contributions, connected by a deep rooted desire for the same thing: equality. It sounds like a cliche to say that it made me laugh and cry. But it really did. Multiple times. In public places (sorry not sorry). It’s answered more questions for me than a whole host of academic texts, and raised a whole bunch more. That’s because it’s real women talking about their own experiences, imperfections and ambitions. I actually considered ripping out the chapter on feminist comebacks to keep in my back pocket for those occasions (usually after a few glasses of wine) when my indignation overrides my ability to debate rationally. But then the next person I lend it to wouldn’t have the joy of reading them. Because for someone learning about feminism for the first time, or teetering on the edge of identifying as one, or unsure of what admitting the burning fire in their belly might mean, this book could be life-changing. The shared experience of what it means to be a women today is so powerful and so genuine, you can’t help but feel unshakeably proud of what we’ve all achieved so far and inspired by what we’re going to all achieve together in the future.
Feminists Don't Wear Pink and Other Lies by Scarlett Curtis. Penguin Random House, 2018.