Every episode of The Women’s Prize podcast is filled with passionate personal recommendations from the host of successful, insightful women interviewed. The books featured include all types of fiction and increasingly non-fiction, so we’ve pulled together a list of non-fiction recommendations that come up time and again, as some of the books that have most impacted the lives our guests.
Check out the list, and for more stellar recommendations, listen to our podcast here.
Recommended by: Gillian Anderson
‘It was unlike anything I’d ever read before. It’s narrative journalism. It had that kind of curious, incisive journalistic perspective. But it’s also a book that really cares about and honours its subjects. So it’s about these three women, but it’s really about who we are, as women. It asked big, profound questions about sexual power, politics, desire. It covers quite a lot when you dig down into it.’
Recommended by: Emeli Sandé
‘This book awoke something in me about identity … I remember looking at my hands and realising I was different, and this was going to affect me for the rest of my life. But then also, I found so much strength and inspiration in her survival.’
Recommended by: Katherine Ryan
‘I was really lucky because I got to meet and work with Caitlin at the same time the book came out, and she exploded as a personality and as an author. The book had so much accessible feminism in it that I really understood. I felt like she was telling me empowering statements in the book and telling stories about her life. But also it was just really modern and really funny. And that’s the way to get to someone like me – it was the right way to inject big smart ideas, through humour.’
Recommended by: Aisling Bea
‘The book talks about guilt doing nothing. And just generally for anyone trying to help – whether it’s another community or another group of people or the friends in your life – feeling guilty, like you’re not doing enough, doesn’t help … and it made me want to engage more in action, and [think about] how could I use my platform to help.’
Recommended by: Cherry Healey
‘It’s so pithy and full of positivity and hope. There is not a wasted word, and the word economy is perfect. The reason I don’t have a copy here is I’ve given it to my daughter, who’s just turned 13.’
Recommended by: Candice Brathwaite
‘What her autobiography taught me is to stop being consumed with my age or ageing out of success … Malorie didn’t get published until her mid 30s. Her books have only just begun to be televised, and she’s in her 60s … Taking that time doesn’t take away from the impact.’
