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The Genius Way One Bookstore Is Celebrating International Women’s Day

Tamim Alnuweiri

February 22, 2018

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International Women's Day serves as an annual reminder to recognize that for centuries, ladies have had to rise above so much BS in a bid to have equal rights (which we're still waiting on, BTW). The day, March 8, will likely feel especially significant this year, considering the prominence of the #MeToo movement and the continuing battle against the government for reproductive rights. So in honor of the international holiday, Penguin just announced via a release it will open a pop-up bookstore in London called The Like a Woman Bookshop—and the space will only sell works by female authors.

"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." —Zainab Juma, creative manager at Penguin Random House

The pop-up will be open from March 5 to 9 in the Shoreditch area of London, and it's also intended to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act, the British law that finally allowed women to vote.

The Like a Woman Bookshop promises to be chock-full of tomes by female authors, organized according to themes—such as "Essential feminist reads" and "Changemakers"—meant to "celebrate the persistence of women who’ve fought for change: those who fight, rebel, and shout #LikeAWoman," according to the publisher.

Aside from selling books from more than 200 female authors (including names like Zadie Smith, Malorie Blackman, Margaret Atwood, and Malala Yousafzai), the store will host literary events and donate resulting proceeds to Solace Women’s Aid, a London-based initiative that supports more 11,000 survivors of domestic abuse annually, Penguin said. Shoppers will also be able to buy and donate books for the organization.

"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," Penguin Random House creative manager Zainab Juma said in the Penguin release.

Virginia Woolf famously said a woman needs a room of one’s own to create and write. She would likely agree to the need for a women’s bookstore, too.

If you're in London, make sure you stop by the boxing paradise Lamyland and this store, which is designed to make you happy.