Virago collaborates with the Feminist Book Society and BookBar for 50th anniversary
Virago has partnered with the Feminist Book Society and independent bookshop BookBar to continue the publisher’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Hosted at the House of St Barnabas in London on Wednesday 14th June, the evening will consist of two parts, both celebrating Virago’s 50th anniversary “passing the apple” theme.
The first part will constitute a behind-the-scenes look at Virago with a panel discussion featuring Alexa Allen-Batifoulier, assistant editor; Grace Vincent, acting director of Literary Publicity, and Sarah Savitt, Virago publisher.
Then, three Virago authors will be in conversation with the Feminist Book Society. Writing and the future of feminism will be discussed by Natasha Walter, whose Living Dolls is reissued as one of the 50th anniversary’s Five Gold Reads series, and Stella Duffy and Claire Kohda, who have both contributed to Virago’s recently published anniversary anthology, Furies: Stories of the Wicked, Wild and Untamed.
A specially curated Virago-themed bookshop will be hosted by the Feminist Book Society’s retail partner, BookBar. Savitt said: “We love the Feminist Book Society and are thrilled to be working with it on this special event for our 50th anniversary. The theme for our anniversary is ‘passing the apple’ because we wanted to think about the next 50 years of feminist writing and publishing, alongside celebrating our history. We hope our speakers at this event will inspire both future writers and future publishers.”
Eleanor Dryden and Rosie Beaumont-Thomas, founders of the Feminist Book Society, said: “Creative collaboration drives our feminism so, as lifelong fans of multiple Virago authors ourselves, creating this celebration (Virago’s 50th birthday, and our fifth!) together with BookBar feels uniquely special.
“What feminism is – and can be – is under scrutiny and recalibration, again, and we’ll foreground joy, inclusivity, connection and brilliant writing to delve into this on 14th June. We’re as excited to celebrate the feminist books that made us (always the first question we put to our Feminist Book Society panellists!) as we are to debate the feminist future of writing and publishing, with Virago.”
Chrissy Ryan, BookBar founder, added: “We have loved working with Feminist Book Society as its bookselling partner from early in BookBar’s journey. I am in utter admiration of the way that Feminist Book Society creates vibrant, warm, welcoming, interrogative feminist discussions each month and Virago’s publishing formed some of my early ideas of feminism and my love of reading. There are surely few better collaborations than Feminist Book Society and Virago and we at BookBar are honoured to form a trio with them for this month’s celebration of women and books to celebrate Virago’s 50th anniversary.”
