This week on the Women’s Prize podcast host Vick Hope catches up with TV presenter, author and the nation’s favourite cupid, Laura Whitmore, to find out about her five reading essentials (plus a couple of honorable mentions). From rousing poems to absorbing novels, Laura gives us plenty of inspiration for the season ahead.
Keep on reading for a peek at Laura’s top picks and listen to the episode here for the fascinating conversation in full.
‘It’s funny, it’s smart, it’s sad … Although it’s about the female anatomy, I think it’s an incredible read for any man as well. [Sara Pascoe] talks a lot about her body, about consent, about abortion and about relationships … It’s the one book I say everyone should read.’
‘Ireland is a beautiful island of saints and scholars, as they say, but poetry was always a man’s preserve in Ireland. And then came Eavan Boland, who basically shook the patriarchy to its roots and changed the canon forever.’
‘ You can have so much love coming at you … but until you love yourself, or until it comes from you, the pain won’t stop, the suffering won’t stop. So you can’t put the blame on other people … I felt very lucky that I read this book when I did, because it helped me grapple with things I was going through.’
‘I just can’t believe this is a real story … It’s an insight into the challenges for those who are trying to settle into different cultures … I think for lots of young women who are finding themselves displaced, to have [Yusra] as a role model is beautiful.’
‘It’s a beautifully written book about how courage can get you through … It’s one of those books I need to read in the privacy of my own home and not on the bus. I’ve done some ugly crying on buses.’
