Did you know there was an all-women-run mechanics in 1920s Melbourne? Or that a university lecturer in Tehran secretly met with her students to discuss forbidden Western classics?
Vision Australia Librarian Angela Lapham has been delving into a range of feminist themed biographies, all available at the library. If you’re not a member of the library why not join here today?
Angela’s reads
The books Angela has been reading show, even with society stacked against you, there are always people who will find a way.
Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran recounts how she, and her incredibly brave female students met secretly met to discuss forbidden Western classics. The more Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Nabokov they read, the more they began taking autonomy over their personal and professional lives.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Infidel speaks of a life restricted by enforced religion and the courage to continually challenge this. Raised in Somalia and Saudi Arabia, Ayaan migrated to the Netherlands where she studied political science and was elected to Parliament.
Finally, Loretta Smith’s Spanner in the Works is one of those stories you hear and think why isn’t everyone taught about this in school? Who would’ve thought that an all women-run mechanics would’ve existed in 1920s Melbourne?
Other book recommendations
Angela also recommends comedian Judith Lucy’s Turns out, I’m fine (released April 2021). An amusing analysis of her relationships with men, ending in the rightful conclusion that you should never rely on a relationship for your self-worth or happiness. While our librarians work to get this book into the library, it’s a good reminder that our library takes book requests of all sorts.
If there is a book you’d like added to the library contact us here and tell us all about it.