Women's History Month at the Library

Reading lists

We've collated these resource collections of fiction, non-fiction, films, and documentaries about women's history. Our lists have a mixture of digital and physical resources. Read and watch online or visit us to borrow physical items. Delve in to discover your new favourite book or film, and find out more about women's history.

Women's history resources

Recommendations

Here are some highlights from our collection:

• Disobedient bodies by Emma Dabiri
Exploring how our ideas of beauty have been shaped by the forces of patriarchy and capitalism, Emma Dabiri challenges us to think differently and reclaim our disobedient bodies in this powerful essay.
• Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
With her first novel in ten years, Claire Kilroy presents us with a mother’s monologue to her infant son, Sailor. Solider, our mother, takes us on a raw, emotional dive into the depths of early motherhood as she reunites with an old friend who offers her a return to her former life.

• The personal librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Based on a true story, The personal librarian imagines the life of Belle da Costa Greene, the manager of famous American financier J.P. Morgan’s personal library. As Belle finds success in New York society, and in the art world, she must also juggle a secret – that she has been hiding her Black heritage and passing for white.
• A history of Britain in 21 women by Jenni Murray
Written by three bestselling authors, this true-story-inspired novel When we had wings is a story of freedom and survival. It is a gripping and emotional book that explores the lives of three women during the civil rights era. Told from different perspectives, the story follows the journey of a young African American woman, a white civil rights advocate and a mother who is forced to confront the prejudices of her past.
• Nevada by Imogen Binnie
Maria, a trans woman living in New York, is stuck in a dissatisfying relationship and a dead-end job. When her girlfriend cheats on her, Maria begins her own Great American Road Trip which leads her to a small town in Nevada. There she meets James, who may or may not be trans too, and the pair form an unlikely but powerful connection.

Social media celebration

Join us on social media as we celebrate women's history, achievement and culture.

• Instagram @uwelibrary