New women's book shop

Now back in the day... when I was first a student I had two female lecturers who were very knowledgeable about feminism (the real type) and we’d often go off topic to discuss it.

Now the whole (what we now call) genderwoo was viewed as intellectual errrrr ‘self-love’ shall we say. Exercises in twisting words and meaning, exploring alleyways and seeing how far a theory could go - seen as pretty left field (like David Ike and his lizards). So safe to snigger at it, as it was very much a minority interest.

Who’d’ve think it, 40 years on, and this nonsense (probably the brainchild of some bad acid) has capture the imagination of the yoof?

How long has it been since feminist theory in Waterstones was replaced by gender studies as a separate category? Looking at that section in the store, there is a few second wave feminist tracts mixed with a huge amount of gender studies. Which, given the number of sections dedicated to gender elsewhere in the store, seems a little much. Does gender studies really sell that much?

I hope Blair White publishes something- I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Lighthouse et al will self combust trying to justify banning a trans author.

Ooh yes, I'm a big fan of Blair White (although not so much of Blaire's plans to become a 'mum') and that will make some people very confused

Peterson doesn't need say a "conservative" bookshop or publisher - he needed and got a publisher that stood its ground. Obviously it helps that he's so profitable.

My local Waterstone's hasn't toned the Harry Potter memorabilia one whit. My local Toppings has JKR first editions on prominent display. Both have Abigail Shrier's book in stock for click and collect this afternoon if I want to buy it.

I hope Blair White publishes something- I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Lighthouse et al will self combust trying to justify banning a trans author.

I'd love to see a 'cancelled' book shop, which stocked all the books that people have ever tried to ban.

Not sure - how many male authors get death the threats, cancelled book launched/offers, publishing house staff blackmailing their employers/flouncing off if she dares to voice an opinion They Don’t Like.

Maybe we need womans spaces more than ever now.

I agree with beastley slumbar. I like my changing rooms to be women only but don't care that much about the sex of authors particularly if it's fiction. It seems to be limiting what you read for the sake of it. Women's bookshops were important in the Virago days when female authors were ignored by other book shops but they seem unnecessary now especially when businesses like Lighthouse show that a "women's " bookshop can be more likely to restrict which female authors it stock and which "type" of woman it wants as a customer than a mainstream bookshop where books are books.

This new book shop in Stockbridge is going to sell only fiction, that’s a huge oversight in my opinion.

I agree KimikosNightmare. There's no need to separate males and females in terms of writing - there's no sex difference in writing ability.

Personally I don't even see the need for women only writing prizes- far less women only bookshops.

I dunno, I think this is fine really - it's a business tbh they can do what they like. Nice to have a bookstore that make a conscious decision to sell books written by women. If there are some trans authors in there so what.

Speaking of books... do search for ‘rainbow monkey library’. It is not an April fool...

Not sure what about my post makes you relate it to Lighthouse? They are super woke as far as I can tell. I went in there once about eight years ago - never again!

Having looked at Lighthouse's website and its hectoring tone I'm fairly certain that I'll never set foot in it.

What is their stance on female authors who used male pseudonyms to get published and taken seriously?

A free speech bookshop would be amazing! It would be burned down within days if one opened in Edinburgh :(

Just an FYI re twitter - you can set up multiple accounts. I have 4. One for work, one for complaints, one for general stuff with friends/family and one for activist stuff.

Info on how to do it at uk.pcmag.com/social-media/132816/how-to-create-and-manage-multiple-twitter-accounts

This might be an unpopular view here, but I don't really see the need for a women-only bookshop really. Women kind of dominate ficton and you can get their books in every bookshop and online. If they were stocking rare/out of print/indie women's writing then maybe that would be good. Likewise, if they were going to be a feminist bookshop, that would be good too. But as it is, it's just another woke business selling the same books you can buy anywhere. I don't see the point. They're not doing anything for women.

On a related note, I feel the whole idea of 'women's writing' seems to be just another way of trying to put women in the corner. There's really no such thing as women's writing as a general category. There's feminist writing, and women's commercial fiction, and a lot of crime genres are dominated by women, too. But they are so unbelievably diverse, it's reductive to lump it all together as women's writing.

Oh yes. One of those where they teach you how to cook and then you eat it.

Women round a pot, stirring and plotting and cackling, sharing songs, stories and poems. John Knox would be horrified.

Sounds amazing

I think a cookhouse SUPPORTING free speech would have a lovely atmosphere

Not cookhouse, book shop.