Sisterwrite
Sisterwrite was Britain's first feminist bookshop.[1] The bookshop, which opened in 1978, was run as a collective.[2][3][4] Sisterwrite was located at 190 Upper Street, in the Islington district of north London.[4][5] Mary Coghill and Kay Stirling invited Lynn Alderson to join them in opening a women's bookshop.[6] The three of them became the founders of Sisterwrite. Money was tight at the beginning, however, Mary was able to give $5,000 towards its opening and her sister gave $3,000.[6] They began fundraising and sent a letter around to different organizations and women to sign, showing their support. Once they reached $11,000, they began to work on opening the shop.[6] The opening was a difficult process as all three women lived in squats and relied on welfare benefits while they paid off debts and worked until Sisterwrite became economically viable.[7] The squatting community became a feminist, urban phenomenon as women were able to discuss the Women's Liberation movement in a safe space.[8]Sisterwrite was commended for its knowledgeable workers led by Coghill, Stirling, and Alderson, and their willingness to discuss women's literature with patrons.[9] The bookshop also contained a cafe, called Sisterbite.[2][5]
Sisterwrite was notable for having a lesbian book section, and became a hub for the local lesbian community.[5][10] Sisterwrite displayed the Women's Liberation Movement to wider circles of women and became a safe space for lesbian and queer women to meet and feel they are central to this movement.[7]In specific, Sisterwrite was able to aid the women’s mental health movement by providing a hub for women to discuss and read about shared mental health struggles.[11]
In 1985, Sisterwrite underwent an important transformation from a collective of white activists to a multiracial group. This change catalyzed the expansion of the section which included black literature and called for the incorporation of literature from women worldwide.[12] The Sisterwrite Collective intentionally sought to amplify the voices of Black women, enriching the Bookshop's legacy and adding to the shop's many accomplishments.[13]
Despite their persistent fight to keep their doors open amidst a recession, multiple burglaries, and the inability to park near the store,[12] on August 7th, 1993, Sisterwrite closed for good.[14] However, the closure of Sisterwrite did not signify a decline in interest in women’s writing, the collective workers stated that the demand for female literature tripled since the mid-1980s.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Closed chapter: Sisterwrite, Britain's first women's bookstore,..." Chicago Tribune. 15 August 1993. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ a b Crockett, Moya (2019-03-08). "The UK's feminist bookshops are making a triumphant comeback". Stylist. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ "In conversation with members of Sisterwrite Collective". The Feminist Library. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ a b "Sisterwrite Bookshop". islington.humap.site. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ a b c "Commercial Locations". Historic England. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ a b c Wild, Angela C. (2016-12-08). "Sisterwrite bookshop – Lynn Alderson". Lesbian History Group. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ a b Delap, Lucy (2016-04-01). "Feminist Bookshops, Reading Cultures and the Women's Liberation Movement in Great Britain, c. 1974–2000". History Workshop Journal. 81 (1): 171–196. doi:10.1093/hwj/dbw002. ISSN 1363-3554.
- ^ Wall, Christine (Spring 2017). "Sisterhood and Squatting in the 1970s: Feminism, Housing and Urban Change in Hackney". History Workshop Journal. 83 (1): 79–97. doi:10.1093/hwj/dbx024. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ "no43-apr-1982-18-pp". Human Rights Documents online. doi:10.1163/2210-7975_hrd-0275-0021. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
- ^ Morris, James (2018-02-16). "Islington's gay history landmarks – hidden in plain sight". Islington Gazette. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ Crook, Sarah (2018-11-10). "The women's liberation movement, activism and therapy at the grassroots, 1968–1985". Women's History Review. 27 (7): 1152–1168. doi:10.1080/09612025.2018.1450611. ISSN 0961-2025. PMC 6195332. PMID 30381789.
- ^ a b "Four. The Feminist Shelf, A Transnational Project 1984–1993", The Feminist Bookstore Movement, Duke University Press, pp. 107–144, 2020-12-31, doi:10.1515/9780822374336-007, ISBN 978-0-8223-7433-6, retrieved 2024-12-01
- ^ Alice (2020-07-03). "In conversation with members of Sisterwrite Collective – The Feminist Library". Retrieved 2024-12-01.
- ^ Sharmilla, Joshi (August 24, 1993). "Feminist bookstore falls to recession". ProQuest 518474732.
- ^ Bock, R. (January 1993). "News from the EPS Nuclear Physics Board". Nuclear Physics News. 3 (2): 28. doi:10.1080/10506899308210211. ISSN 1061-9127.
See also
[edit]Category:Independent bookshops of the United Kingdom
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