Described by The List as ‘an eye opening, moving and inspiring collection’, the 21 Revolutions book celebrates two decades of the Glasgow Women’s Library by bringing together 21 writers and 21 artists to create a body of work inspired by GWL’s culturally and historically significant resources. At Aye Write! contributors Alison Miller, Laura Marney, Helen de Main and Shauna McMullan will join Adele Patrick to discuss what inspired their works in the collection.
Three of the contributors chose second feminist wave books and magazines as the basis for their pieces. Expanding on issues raised by the first wave, works published during this time explored a diverse range of issues affecting women, including feminism in relation to race and sexuality. Helen de Main’s art work 21 Spare Ribs was inspired by the the iconic Spare Rib magazine and Shauna McMullan’s 165 Stars, Found in GWL Lending Library features marginalia from Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism and other texts found in GWL. Meanwhile, Laura Marney chose the more contemporary The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver as the starting point for her short story ‘Mango’.
In Alison Miller’s ‘An Innocuous Tale of Love and Romance’, a young woman in 70s Orkney questions the inequality she faces in her everyday life. At her Saturday job, Inga asks her employer for a wage equal to that of the male employees and at home she wonders why ‘the boys should get off with doing sweet bugger all when she’s been out working’. She buys her friend Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch for her birthday and as Inga thinks of the book’s cover she’s reminded of a highly non-feminist quiz in a teenage magazine, entitled: ‘Do you have a ribcage like a laundry basket?’. In a sexist society Inga tries to redress the balance but she is faced with narrow minded attitudes from those around her and in the media. In this thought provoking short story Alison Miller writes convincingly from a teenage perspective, reminding the reader that sexism affects those of all ages.
To hear more about the work in 21 Revolutions and GWL’s fascinating resources, come along to the Mitchell Library on Friday 11th April. For more details, please see here. You can find out more about the 21 Revolutions project here, including how to download free podcasts of the writer’s works, and how to buy the book and limited edition fine art prints.
