Solidarity Economics in Publishing and Booktrade Sectors: A Creative Feminist Toolkit

Pile of books about feminism

Principal Investigator: Margaretta Jolly

The aim for this project is to learn from and support women’s businesses in the book sector by exploring the potential of ‘solidarity economics’ from a feminist perspective. Building on the Leverhulme-funded research project, The Business of Women’s Words: Purpose and Profit in Feminist Publishing (BOWW), we held eight interviews and one collective knowledge exchange event with a selected set of business partners, to explore these ideas and the history of feminist publishing’s achievements and strategies, alongside sharing best practice in launching and sustaining a social and mission-led creative business. Exchanged knowledge is feeding development of a toolkit for small booksellers, publishers and authors in the context of Covid-19 recovery. This toolkit contains: a framework of distilled tips for ‘solidarity economics’; an illustrated history of Feminist Book Fortnight; a short explanatory video; a guide to archives and resources for feminist and women’s publishing and cultural industries.   

The interdisciplinary and intersectoral team included: Eleanor Careless (Nottingham); Maria Restuccia (Strategy and Marketing) Martha Bloom (Science Policy Research Unit); Margaretta Jolly (Media, Arts and Humanities). The film was created by Laura Evans, from Let’s Talk Video Production. Filming was undertaken by Stephanie de Palma.  

For more information about the research behind the BOWW project, or for consultancies, contact Margaretta Jolly.