A Mumsnet thread about a book about a Mumsnet thread “Under the Duvet of Darkness” written by the women of Mumsnet

[Boiledbeetle]

For once we can do a thread about a new book where all the writers are actually on this very board!

Some of you know what I have been up to recently, when I can tear myself away from posting twaddle, gifs and sweary words in bigly letters on here, but for the rest of you…

Over Christmas and New Year after the passing of the GRR (Scotland) Bill a thread was started by TerfranosaurusVagina on the Mumsnet FWR board with a poem about Nicola Sturgeon. Eventually on that thread (and a couple of other threads) over 80 poems were written.

Ramblingnamechanger suggested we do something with them to raise funds to help the women of Scotland and whilst Dodecaheidyin was tempted to write to Poetry Please on Radio 4, and ask them to do an extended special for Hogmanay about our poems, in the end it was decided to make the thread into a book.

After much procrastination by me “Under the Duvet of Darkness: Poems written by angry women for angry women because WOMEN WON’T WHEESHT” went live on Amazon on 31st March

https://amzn.eu/d/98aEnJy

If searching on the site you need to:

Select BOOKS as the department and UNDER THE DUVET OF DARKNESS in the search box.

Currently it doesn’t show up in the main all departments search (I don’t know why or if it will, it takes a while for everything to work properly according to Amazon).

Theres also a QR code below which should take you right there (hopefully the attached works)

MONEY FROM SALES:

In honour of Magdalen Berns, who co-founded the Scottish campaign group For Women Scotland, 100% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to For Women Scotland.*

*Please note that whilst the profit will be donated to For Women Scotland they are not involved, nor are they responsible in any way for the themes, contents or publication of this book.

“It’s not hate to defend your rights, and it’s not hate to speak the truth.”

Magdalen Berns (1983 – 2019)

@Ourladycheesusedatum 5 cakes! You have 5 cakes to make.

Awaits cake! Any type I'm not fussy (except lemon drizzle cake. I HATE lemon drizzle cake).

@ChristinaXYZ we aren't much closer this evening! That will teach me, I spent yesterday watching TV 📺 and have a grand total of 1 processed order today! I mean there's a chance there will be a late run of printing! But I doubt it!

Tomorrow is another day. I did tweet (shudders) so I shall see tomorrow if that garnered any sales!

@howdoesatoastermaketoast I suspect you are correct!

I'm not diagnosed, if I ever have enough money sloshing around I'll go for it, but yes, I'm certain I'm autistic. The more I know about asd, the more I realise I obviously am. All those years called odd, strange, non conformist, unconventional etc
Fairness, honesty, consistency.
All of the above and more.

Agree, the more I know, the more I see it in others. Here especially.

Oh shit you ain't gonna like me, 4 (4 not 5 I fucking hope) lemon drizzle cakes.

One for work, I'm a sucker for the nice guys who ask, are you making cake this weekend, one for my son, one for me and one to share between , old lady, old man and old man with wife.

Looks like I'm back working my way through my extensive Christmas puddings, Christmas cakes and mince pies supplies for the foreseeable then.

TheBiologyStupid · 13/04/2023 22:45

Too late for Vol 2? Ah well, there's always Vol 3...

That's really bloody good!

You know, @howdoesatoastermaketoast I have also got "Granny Weatherwax" vibes from @Ourladycheesusedatum .

And that is a compliment of the highest order.

In fact, I am often reminded, by posts on this section, of the Granny Weatherwax quote (from I Shall Wear Midnight)

"Evil begins when you begin to treat people as things."

Surely, SURELY, this is the problem that so many TRA and MRA have with women, treating us as things, not people.

I shall take said compliment and wear with pride.
And maybe next holiday try Terry pratchett books.

The last point, well the patriarchy explain it all.

I've got a few you can borrow.

@Vebrithien I don't think it's even that they treat us like things. People have love for their games consoles. The TRAs and MRAs: They think of us as rubbish. Not worthy of any consideration attention or respect. Useful for nothing and therefore to be discarded. And sometimes quite literally kicked or thrown aside.

@Ourladycheesusedatum if I can make so bold allow me to recommend the Tiffany Aiken books as a good place to start (they're some of the later books ) I love them but the other books are rather full of 'in' jokes and it can be hard figuring out where to start.

The Tiffany Aiken books reuse but reintroduce a number of characters they are written to be accessible to older children and don't assume you've read any of the previous books.
1)wee free men
2)a hat full of sky
3)wintersmith
4)I shall wear midnight

the audiobooks are also entertaining

@howdoesatoastermaketoast I've just looked at the whole list of TP books. God I need another half a shelf to get up to date!

My favourite audiobook 'voice' has just followed me on Twitter! And retweeted our little book of poems!

My life is complete!

@Boiledbeetle holy hotydog batman that's epic! You're a star!

Well....he is the mysterious BH in the acknowledgements. 😁

@Vebrithien "Evil begins when you begin to treat people as things."

Surely, SURELY, this is the problem that so many TRA and MRA have with women, treating us as things, not people.

Yes I totally think that's a thing that is going on with some men. We are objects to used, to be used for sexual gratification, to be used for emotional support, to be used for childcare and housekeeping, to be used to provide eggs, gestate embryos, to be owned and displayed as a status symbol to make other men jealous, to be used to validate your gender identity.

When you see it in the context of just one facet of the possible uses of the woman object you start to see why so many men struggle to see what is wrong with the ways TRAs expect women to make themselves useful.

If an object isn't useful you complain about it, declare it useless, insult it, call it a piece of shit, shake it, hit it, you might feel entitled to throw it at a wall, smash it, throw it away like trash. These are, it does not strike me as controversial to say, not acceptable ways to treat people.

Feminism for me remains the somehow still radical notion that Women are fully human in their own right.

I always recommend 'Guards, Guards' as a good introduction to Discworld as it's the beginning of the Vimes story. Some of the best characters in that 'verse.

Out the Witches stories, my favourite is Witches Abroad.

My Discworld shelf

Niiiice!

I read 'Guards Guards' while donating blood. I was literally doubling up with laughter. The nurses were worried I might ping the cannula out of my arm.

I think the first 2-3 discworld books aren't the best, although 3 introduces Granny Weatherwax (@Ourladycheesusedatum definitely a compliment). They have their moments but from 4 on, with rare exceptions, they're brilliant.

@ComradeIcakethereforeIam that's a great anecdote

Of course non of those books compare to the brilliance of our book...who am I am kidding TPs books are marvels!!

And the Amazon dashboard is playing with me..

@Boiledbeetle just finished my copy.

really enjoyed it

@howdoesatoastermaketoast happy dance😍

😙well done you it's a triumph of your will

Leni towards the dubious there! 😀

I was happy dancing about you liking it! I mean I know I'm willing people to like it, but I'm fairly sure my mind powers aren't that strong!😁