Unboxing the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction books (+ why we need it)

Let's talk about women's writing, publishing, pay and unbox the FIRST EVER Women's Prize for Non-Fiction longlist books!

/// SUPPORT ///

Being in the club means you get: a free weekly podcast, access to a secret facebook group, a free poetry collection and play written by me, access to livestreams AND you get to access to all my videos before anyone else sees them!

Nab yourself a POSITIVE PANIC PATCH:

// COME AND HANG WITH ME IN BETWEEN UPLOADS //

I use Octopus Energy which are a clean green sustainable energy company - if you're in the UK and are curious, here are the two videos I talk about them in:

[ivakolar]

On the topic of unknown wives of famous men, there's a book by a Croatian author Slavenka Drakulić called "Mileva Einstein, Theory of Sadness". It's about Einstein's first wife who was also a physicist, but gave up her promising career to be his wife and then got tossed aside by him. Even though it's not strictly non-fiction, it definitely made me rethink Einstein.

[landuola]

i just truly love your women's prize content, thank you so much for keeping on!

[belorama]

As an autistic woman who went to college for History and mainly tends to finish non fiction books (no matter how many times I try to finish fiction books, ) I am ELATED at this new category! I want to read most of these books.
I am often frustrated at how publishers disregard such a huge demographic if they've never tried to cater to them at all or publish authors within it.

[Hillary]

When will Leena be a judge already *shakes fist at sky*

[sinnela]

Just to clarify, the book about Naomi Klein's doppelgänger is not about another woman with the same name. The other Naomi is Naomi Wolf, a former liberal feminist icon turned anti-vax conspiracist.

[christinaobo]

I just had a very demoralizing day of research (for context I am in grad school focusing on women's history), but this video made MY DAY and lifted up my spirits that my efforts aren't fruitless! So excited the prize is covering these and I was obsessed with Wifedom too, so I hope you love it :)

[Itcouldbebunnies]

"Jeanette Winterson says it's good, and that's good enough for me." And so say we all.

[jecsaundersjess]

Leena, you must have such strong wrists 😂 some of those books are bone-breakers!

[andreawatt]

thank you for talking about this!! we need more nonfiction books published that are written by women.

[Hillary]

You and Ariel must read Wifedom together!!!! I need to hear you two discuss this

[emilyglass]

I looked up the thing about pelvises a while back and, at least per the article I found, it’s basically not that c-sections alter the pelvises of the pregnant people who have the procedure, but just that they promote the survival (and potential further reproduction) of people whose pelvis size might have endangered their lives and/or the lives of their babies. The average pelvis size of the population as a whole is very slightly smaller as a result, because more people with small pelvis bones are staying alive ❤

[Emzjellybeanz]

Aah this is great, my girlfriend loves non fiction, so many new gift ideas for her!

[bex]

a flat place is the best book ive read so far this year!! i loved it so much!! beautifully written and profound!

[buffienguyen]

this is so exciting i find so many new books through your women prize videos :D (I also replay them for comfort listening sometimes hehe)

[laurenwildsunflowers]

Wifedom is so great!!! So glad it’s on the list.🎉

[sprinkledsunshine]

Ooooh I've been looking forward to this video! Not gonna lie Leena if you said Women's Prize for Non-Fiction in the title it would have been the first thing I watched this evening, the title scared me a little 😅
I'm interested in reading A Flat Place and Finding Eden was already on my list and now Matresence will join it, I was interested in the concept even before you mentioned the author! And The Britannias sounds right up my street too! Also I'm interested in but cautious of Eve, I'd love to hear people's thoughts once they read it or listen to a podcast about it first.
Looking forward to hearing what you think of the books you've picked out! And excited to see the eventual shortlist 🙌🏻✨

[EnaGoba]

For some reason I though this wouldnt really interest me but basically every single one of the sounds like "I'll just drop everything and start reading". Maybe most interested in Naomi Klein's book? But also so many other ones

[Mrsasperge]

I'm not a big non-fiction reader but you make everything sound so fascinating. I'm being influenced haha

[Larissa_KD]

I'm most excited about Wifedom, How to Say Babylon, A Flat Place, All that She Carried and Vulture Capitalism! But now hearing you explain Doppelganger instead of the announcement livestream that also sounds fascinating!!

[lauragibbons]

There are so many good books here by the looks of things! I definitely want to read the flat place, that sounds really good! It's funny when you were reading all the facts about why we need a women's prize I was thinking about all the books I've read recently and how most books I read are women's non fiction. You are right though, a lot of them, whether it be science or history, end up covering mainly female dominated topics, perhaps out of a feeling of needing to tell the stories men haven't bothered to tell. Either way, there are some fantastic books out there! My faves are Laura Bates, Lucy Cooke Annabelle Hirsch