About The Feminist Book Club CIC
Welcome to The Feminist Book Club CIC, we are a community interest company (CIC) helping cool people read, across London, Bristol, Guildford and Sheffield!
First and foremost, we are a book club (well we are four book clubs), but we meet on a monthly basis, read books, host author events, chat about books and socialise.
We’re a safe space for like-minded individuals to meet and to get to know one another.
We are currently reading in South London, North London, Bristol, Guildford and Sheffield, and offer book clubs to corporations and businesses.
It’s very simple really… we discuss books by women, for women, but we are open to all. We hope to see you at one of our book clubs very soon!
Us.
About
Meet the
team
Meet the women behind the book clubs!
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Managing Director
Rebecca is the Managing Director of the Feminist Book Club CIC and oversees all book club activity across the 6 clubs. She hosts the South London, North London and corporate book clubs.
She’s a passionate feminist who has worked in women and girls rights (in some form) for over eight years – including working on national and international girls rights projects, and also worked for Welsh Women’s Aid. She is currently programme managing various projects at the National Literacy Trust, working in the criminal justice and adult literacy team, overseeing literacy projects in prisons and women’s refuges across the country.
Rebecca set up South London Feminist Book Club after being one of the fortunate founding members of Cardiff Feminist Book Club. If you are based across the big bridge, give them a follow and show your support to our Welsh sisters!
Favourite book
Always a difficult question, but at the moment it’s ‘Little Prisons’ by Ilona Bannister, a previous book club read.
Best talent
Is not being able to touch your shoulder a talent? It’s a long story…
Get in touch with Rebecca:
If you would like to join one of the London book clubs or are interested in a book club in your workplace please email: londonfeministbookclubcic@gmail.com
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Book club hosts for West London Feminist Book Club
Lydia Hamilton
Zara and I have paired up to lead the West London Feminist Book Club, which launched in August 2024. We've been fortunate enough to host in many cosy and fun locations from Nomad Books (Fulham) to Andover Arms (Ravenscourt Park) to Drop and The Other House (Kensington). I adore this book club and the members who join us, it's a simple and no-nonsense format; good drinks, great books and even better company. With how crazy life can get, this community is something which is just so good for the soul to be a part of.
- Where you work, your passions etc
With a love for all things community and hospitality, I work as Memberships Manager for The Other House in South Kensington. A beautiful and first of it's kind 'Residents Club' in London, we have members apply both locally and across the world who all have a love of West London. I'm an extroverted individual, so I'm often socialising with peers, friends and family, and when it's time to reset the social battery, you'll find me tucked away with my book. Literature is what grounds me!
- Your favourite book
Easily, my favourite book of all time has to be 'Circe' by Madeline Miller.
- Your best talent
One thing about me, I'm a yapper through and through. You won't believe what i'll pluck out of thin air to fill a silence, it's quite impressive. Need advice? I'll delulu the solulu for you. Need a procrastination partner? Say no more. Want a good story? Let's get into it!
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Managing Director
Jo is an editor, writer and podcast host, and co-ordinates the Sheffield Feminist Book Club. Originally from Manchester, she lived in London for six years before locating back up North to Sheffield. Jo has an unhealthy obsession (her words) with her extremely naughty rescue dog Nora (@norapups). As well as reading, her hobbies include yoga, making espresso martinis and trying to convince herself that one day she’ll become a morning exerciser.
Favourite book
One she is probably yet to read, but at the moment Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’.
Best talent
Got to be the dance moves.
Get in touch with Jo:
If you have any questions or would like to get involved in the Sheffield book club, please email Jo: sheffieldfeministbookclub@gmai.com
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Bristol Book Club Coordinator
My name is Eloise and I will be running the Bristol Feminist Book Club, which launched in January 2024. I am a born and bred Bristolian (without the accent) and cannot wait to nurture the feminist community in this wonderful city!
I currently work in recruitment and within that I am part of our Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion Group as well as a Mental Health First Aider. Within these groups, I enjoy bringing a feminist perspective to ensuring we are more inclusive and aware of the women we work with. Outside of my work, I also volunteer with Young Feminist Europe which is an organisation who advocate for feminist policy in decision-making spaces.
I’m so excited and honoured to be a part of the growing Feminist Book Club family and can’t wait to meet our new members!
Favourite book:
My guilty favourite classic is ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte, and my current modern favourite is probably ‘New Animal’ by Ella Baxter.
Best talent:
I’m great at making hot drinks, never get a complaint after my tea/coffee runs!
Get in touch with Eloise:
If you have any questions or would like to get involved in the Bristol book club, please email Eloise: bristolfeministbookclub@gmai.com
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Jess is a South African living in London, where she has been since 2018. Books have always been one of her great loves - she adores sitting in a novel long after it's ended, unpacking that twist, that betrayal, that perfectly devastating line!
In 2020, Jess set myself the challenge of reading a book a week and launched fiftytwo_books, an Instagram page where Jess still share short-form reviews. Jess is especially drawn to books with feminist leanings - stories that interrogate power, identity, and the quiet complexities of womanhood - and could talk forever about the power fiction has to change the world.
Outside the world of books, she’s the founder of Cardigans, a small card company where I illustrate and sell hand-drawn gift cards. By day, Jess works in the finance department of a gaming company - but books remain her constant, joyful obsession. Being part of the Book Club, and regularly reviewing titles for it, has only deepened that love and sense of connection through reading and she’s very excited to do more of it!
Favourite Book
Almost impossible to choose, but The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer remains firmly lodged in her heart.
Talent
The broomstick trick (give it a google if you aren’t familiar) - but only after a few negronis!
Get in touch
We really encourage you to sign up to our mailing lists so you can keep up to date through our newsletters and be the first to know when we launch a new book club event.
But, please be patient with us…
We run the book club alongside full time jobs so if we don’t get back right away,
we promise we will reply as soon as we can!
Love,
The book club team x
Meet the
board
Meet the board members who help make all the important book club decisions!
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Chair of The Feminist Book Club Board
As Chair of the Board, Aiyanna provides strategic leadership and supports strong governance, working closely with the Managing Director and Board to ensure the organisation operates effectively and grows sustainably.
About Aiyanna
Aiyanna Lund is a fundraising professional working in global development, with a passion for advancing equality for women and girls both nationally and internationally. She has also supported grassroots feminist spaces, including as Fundraising Manager for SheFest, where she helped grow income and support women-led creative initiatives.She holds a degree in Creative Writing and is a published poet, believing strongly in the power of literature and storytelling to connect communities and amplify diverse voices.
Favourite book & recent reads
Aiyanna’s favourite book will always be an all-time classic - East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Her standout read this year is A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum.Why Aiyanna is excited to be the Chair of TFBC Board
Aiyanna is excited to join The Feminist Book Club as Chair of the Board because she believes deeply in the power of literature and community spaces to bring women together, and wants to be part of the organisation’s journey to grow and broaden its impact. More than anything, her partner is very tired of her unsolicited book reviews, so she’s delighted to have a community where her book rants and love of reading are not only welcomed, but encouraged! -
Rebecca Perry has written two full-length poetry collections – ‘Beauty/Beauty’ and ‘Stone Fruit’ – both published by Bloodaxe Books (2015, 2021), as well as four pamphlets.
Her poetry has been shortlisted for awards including the T S Eliot Prize and her first collection won the Michael Murphy Memorial Prize. Her first work of creative non-fiction – On Trampolining – was published by Makina Books in 2023. She is from London, where she also lives.
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Phoebe is a book marketer with over five years experience planning and executing marketing campaigns for a range of fiction and non-fiction titles, including the 2023 Women’s Prize winner ‘Demon Copperhead.’
Before moving into the publishing industry, Phoebe began her career in media as a comms planner working with clients such as Clarins and Ralph Lauren. She also shares her own book recommendations on her Instagram account @thebrixtonbookworm.
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Joelle Owusu-Sekyere is Editorial Director at Merky Books, Penguin Random House. She was previously Editorial Director at Dialogue, Commissioning Editor at Hodder & Stoughton) and Editor at Unbound with her acquisitions including Nero Prize shortlisted The Tidal Year, and Sunday Times bestsellers, Glittering a Turd by Kris Hallenga and Finding Me by Viola Davis.
She has given numerous talks, lectures and panels at Bare Lit Festival, Society of Young Publishers, Cheltenham Literary Festival, Edinburgh Book Festival, and Black Cultural Archives, amongst others. She is also a mentor to publishing hopefuls and has also been a regular book contributor on BBC Radio 5 Live since 2019.
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Nikki Giant is an author and social entrepreneur working to improve the lives of children and young people, especially girls.
Nikki is the founder of The Girl Lab, a creative consultancy agency on a mission to redesign girlhood, changing the way girls and young women are represented, engaged and supported, by providing strategic advice, training and support to girl-focused brands and causes.
Previously the Head of Girls’ Rights and Youth at global charity Plan International UK, Nikki was also the founder of a social enterprise supporting children and young people through a range of educational programmes to raise aspirations, attainment and school attendance. Nikki currently serves on an expert advisory panel to the Children's Commissioner for Wales.
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Nicola is a serial entrepreneur and the Co-founder and CMO of CLIQ, a social networking platform redefining how people connect through interest-based communities and real-life events. Previously, Nicola founded MY REV, a beauty booking platform acquired by Revolution Beauty in 2022 after three years of rapid growth.
Nicola is very passionate about fostering community and empowering women to thrive. Alongside running CLIQ, she also hosts a supper club for female founders and regularly shares her journey through public speaking.
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Zena (pronounced Zee-na) has worked in marketing for ten years, working for brands such as Nickelodeon, Dave, and TikTok.
Zena studied English Literature at the University of York and is particularly interested in feminist fiction that explores relationships between women, such as the My Brilliant Friend series by Elena Ferrante and Betty by Tiffany McDaniel.
Zena is from Iraq and is passionate about racial justice and literature from marginalised groups. She has been involved in various diversity and inclusion initiatives and advocates for greater awareness of the British Arab experience.
Zena originally joined the Book Club in January 2023 due to a desire to meet like-minded people with similar values and to be part of an inclusive community with feminism at the centre. She has since helped lead group discussions, organised socials, interviewed authors, and contributed to the Book Club’s social media.
Zena lives in South London with her cat Tinkerbell.
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Ilona is the author of two novels, When I Ran Away and Little Prisons. Ilona's writing has appeared in Stylist, The Guardian, Literary Hub, and on National Public Radio (NPR) in the US. When I Ran Away was long listed for the Center For Fiction's First Novel Prize in 2021, as well as acknowledged as a Good Morning America Must Read Book and a New York Post Best Book to Read.
Ilona was the first author to have an event with the Feminist Book Club in its early days and she is very proud to see the organisation thriving and growing at such an incredible rate.