Penguin celebrates International Women’s Day with a pop-up bookshop which will only sell books by women

Penguin celebrates International Women’s Day with a pop-up bookshop which will only sell books by women

• To celebrate International Women’s Day and the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, The Like A Woman Bookshop will only stock books written by female writers, from Margaret Atwood and Malorie Blackman to Iris Murdoch and Malala Yousafzai
  
  
• The bookshop will celebrate the persistence of women who’ve fought for change: those who fight, rebel and shout #LikeAWoman
  
  
• Shoppers will also have the chance to purchase books to be donated to Solace Women’s Aid, a charity providing practical and emotional support to over 11,000 survivors of domestic violence in London each year
  
  
• The pop-up will be open from 5-9 March on Rivington Street, East London

This International Women’s Day, Penguin wants to celebrate some of the most powerful, diverse and creative writers from around the world by opening a pop-up bookshop with a difference: it will only stock titles by women.

From 5-9 March, Penguin is partnering with Waterstones to open The Like A Woman Bookshop at 1-3 Rivington Street in Shoreditch, East London. The space will showcase incredible female figures who have made a difference or fought for change #LikeAWoman: contributing to progress in politics, activism, writing, art, science, sports, culture, and more.

Drawing on Penguin Random House’s strong heritage of bringing great female voices from around the world to the fore through its books, the pop-up will stock a selection of the most inspiring and iconic titles in recent times, from Malorie Blackman, Iris Murdoch and Caitlin Moran to Malala Yousafzai, Zadie Smith and Margaret Atwood.

Subverting the usual bookshop layout, it will group together titles not just by genre or category but by the impact the author has had on culture, history or society, including ‘Essential feminist reads’, ‘Inspiring young readers’, ‘Women to watch’, ‘Your body’ and ‘Changemakers’.

The bookshop will host a series of Penguin Live events to showcase some of the most exciting contemporary British female voices, including:

• Life Lessons from Remarkable Women, with Stylist magazine executive editor Mandie Gower and contributors Lucy Mangan, Robyn Wilder and Alix Fox.
  
  
• Women at Work: a live recording of the Live.Life.Better. podcast, presented by Melissa Hemsley, with WEconomy author and chair of Virgin Unite Holly Branson, and The Roasting Tin author Rukmini Iyer.
  
  
• The Female Gaze, an evening of essays and stories from the female perspective, from literary journal Five Dials, with Deborah Levy, Bridget Minamore, Sophie Mackintosh and more.

Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Solace Women’s Aid, who have been providing support and shelter for at risk women in London for over 40 years. Shoppers will also have the chance to purchase books to be donated to children housed in Solace Women’s Aid refuges.

Zainab Juma, Creative Manager at Penguin Random House, said:

“Women’s voices being heard and taken seriously is key to achieving gender equality, and with The Like A Woman Bookshop we’re making room for those voices to be elevated and celebrated. We’re creating a space where readers can look to incredible writers, activists and pioneers for the inspiration to go forward and make change like a woman.”

Lucy Grainger, Waterstones Festival Manager said:

“To create a unique bookshop and event space which is dedicated to a full range of women’s voices, experiences and ideas is tremendously exciting. We’re delighted to be working together with Penguin Random House and we think it promises to be a fantastic and inspiring week for everyone that joins us.”

For media enquiries:

Jess Colman, Communications Manager

0207 840 7382 / jcolman@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk