Reclaiming the F Word by Catherine Redfern and Kristin Aune is published by Zed Books this month and is a book I’ve been looking forward to for some time. As a contributor to The F Word for a number of years when Redfern was the editor, I have been curious to see the results of all the hard work she’s put in since stepping down from running the site that she founded.
Described as existing "to help encourage a new sense of community among UK feminists", The F Word showed me that, at the beginning of the 21st century, feminism still exists and does remain relevant. The site taught me a lot and, through its many young contributors, convinced me that it really is okay to be a feminist.
Today the site is even bigger than before – with a blog, events page and shop – and continues to, quite rightly, refuse to define what feminism is. I am hoping that, through this book and with the help of co-author Kristin Aune, Redfern will be able to reach many more young women and prove to them that this scary 'f word' is relevant to their lives. The book claims to unveil the beginnings of a fresh and diverse wave of feminism:
"In today's 'post-feminist' society, feminism is often portrayed as unfashionable and irrelevant. But since the beginning of the new millennium a revitalised feminist movement has emerged to challenge these assumptions and assert a vibrant new agenda. This groundbreaking book reveals the what, why and how of the new feminist movement and what it has to say about women's lives’ today."
Reclaiming the F Word addresses vital issues for today's feminists and calls a new generation to action. The launch event for Reclaiming the F Word is tomorrow, 3rd June at the University Women's Club from 6pm. Sign up on Facebook for further details. The book is available from 10th June.