For five decades, The Feminist Library has been a crucial site for the development of grassroots feminist archiving, organising and community-building in the United Kingdom. It houses significant texts on feminist theory and practice alongside newsletters from local activist and advocacy groups across the UK and beyond, as well as rare poetry and fiction, often from small radical publishers.
Our collection explores gender in relation to capitalism, imperialism, the body and the state. In a contemporary moment defined by rising fascist backlash against feminism as a political project across Europe, we need spaces for autonomous feminist thinking, making and doing. Stewarded across the years by hundreds of volunteers, the library has survived using the principles learnt from the radical feminist tradition: pluralism, communalism and consciousness raising. We would not exist without the endless hours of unpaid labour from our founders, various community groups, funders and network of volunteers.
In celebration of our 50th anniversary, we’re highlighting our radical history and inviting you to join us in a series of events and exhibitions from July to December. Watch this space for more details!