Community-minded and oh-so inviting (the stylish store is located in the re-converted ground floor of its Founder’s house - it doesn’t get more inviting than that!), Brighton’s The Feminist Bookshop is built on innovation and a warmly welcoming ethos of inclusion.
Alongside stocking a rich range of fiction (covering all genres and styles, and plenty of lesser-known treasures you’ll be over the moon to have discovered), the variety and quality of non-fiction, children’s and Young Adult books is exceptional. If that wasn’t enough, there’s an on-site café (with outdoor seating area) and a reading room. What’s not to like about a beacon of thoughtfully-curated books in the heart of Brighton, plus a cosy ambience?
What’s more, The Feminist Bookshop is so much more than a business enterprise. Born from personal passion, CEO and Founder Ruth Wainwright is committed to supporting the local community through fundraising for women’s charities and operating a library service for those currently unable to access books.
Read on to discover more about the shop (plus some great book recommendations), and huge thanks to Ruth for taking the time to talk to us.
Describe your shop in three words.
Colourful, thoughtful, community bookshop.
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When was your bookshop born? How did it come about?
The idea began when I first moved to Brighton and started running a feminist book club in living rooms around the city. Initially I was just looking to make some new friends and talk about feminism, but it was such a lovely group and so inspiring, that I wanted to take it further. I realised that as the ground floor of my house used to be shop it could probably be converted back and it just seemed obvious – it had to be a feminist bookshop!
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Tell us about your journey and the changes you’ve seen (and made) along the way.
We first opened only 4 months before the first lockdown so we had to make lots of adjustments quite early on. One of the first initiatives we introduced when the country locked down was local deliveries, which meant I was out and about on my bike most days. We also continued to hold events, moving to online hosting, with things like creative writing workshops, life drawing, poetry nights and book launches. We’ve also done what we can to support our local community, opening a library service for those unable to access books at the moment and fundraising for local women’s charities. Now as the high street starts to re-open we’re working out how and when to re-introduce in person events.
What’s important in a great bookshop? What sets you apart and makes you special?
I think for me a sense of identity is a great attribute for a bookshop to have. I find places like Gay’s the Word really inspiring as they have a really clear mandate and ambition as a bookshop. For us, I think the focus on promoting intersectional feminism is what sets us apart. Walking into a shop where the shelves are filled with female and non-binary voices has always been a special feeling for me.
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What’s your all-time favourite…
- novel to recommend to adults?
Small Island by Andrea Levy
- non-fiction to recommend to adults?
Revolting Prostitutes by Juno Mac and Molly Smith
- picture book recommendation?
Freedom We Sing by Amyra Leon and Molly Mendoza
- children’s or YA fiction recommendation?
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Which books have you been recommending recently?
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett has recently been released in paperback so that’s been high on our recommendations. We also really loved Our Lady of the Nile by Scholastique Mukasonga.
What’s your favourite area of your bookshop?
I think I’m particularly fond of the reading room downstairs - it’s where we have a collection of books for people to read while they’re in the shop, some cosy seating and artwork by local creatives on all the walls. It’s a lovely spot to take a breath and do some reading (when I get the chance!).
What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of realising the vision for the bookshop, starting completely from scratch, and for keeping it going over what has been a tough first year of opening. This couldn’t have been done without the support of our local community who have been absolutely incredible and I feel so grateful to have such wonderful people rallying around the bookshop.
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Tell us a secret about books.
You can never ever have too many :-)
Apart from your own shop, which other bookshop(s) do you love spending time in?
I love spending time in bookshops in general, and always stop in to a bookshop when travelling whenever I get the opportunity. There are also some wonderful bookshops in Brighton and Hove which I always enjoy visiting. The Book Nook is a particular favourite, they have an absolutely brilliant collection of children’s books.
What else would you like to share with the Love Reading community?
We’ve got lots of exciting plans for the coming months including online and in-person events so do check out our website to find out more!
For more news from The Feminist bookshop, check-out their channels and website:
Website: www.thefeministbookshop.com
Instagram: @thefeministbookshop
Facebook: @thefeministbookshop
If you enjoyed this and want to read more, click here to read our other Bookshop features.
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