You might have heard the saying “you are what you read,” so why not read poets who celebrate diversity and women’s empowerment. This International Women’s Day, take pride in who you are and curl up with a warm drink and a good poetry collection! Here’s a reading list tailored just for the feminist in you:
Rupi Kaur
Author of bestselling collection Milk and Honey, Rupi’s work focuses on promoting body confidence and female empowerment. If you haven’t read Milk and Honey yet, you need to; if you have and you liked it, you will love her latest collection, The Sun and Her Flowers!
Nikita Gill
She’s been called a “fiery feminist,” and there’s a good reason for it. Her poems leave you feeling like you can take on the patriarchy. While all of her collections are filled with loads of empowerment, her latest collections, Wild Embers and Fierce Fairytales, will leave you with goosebumps.
Yrsa Daley-Ward
Writer, model, actor and LGBTQ+ activist, this girl boss will leave you asking what doesn’t she do! When you’ve finished reading her collection, Bone, you’ll want to listen to some of her spoken poetry.
K Torne
Fun illustrations aren’t the only thing in this poet and artist’s work. Infused with female empowerment and commentary on societal standards, Torne’s poems are perfect for celebrating International Women’s Day! Unfortunately, Torne hasn’t released a poetry collection yet, but you can find all of her poems along with all her art on Instagram.
Margaret Atwood
You might be familiar with Atwood’s best selling book, The Handmaid’s Tale. The same feminist ideals instilled in her novel can be seen throughout her poetry. Her poems will leave you wanting more but don’t worry, she has plenty of novels and short stories to choose from. If you’re looking for a feminist work that will give you chills, I would highly recommend her short story, Rape Fantasies.
Pavana Reddy
Reddy’s collection Rangoli is full of empowering poems that celebrate diversity and will leave you feeling like the Girl Boss you are!
E.H
I found E.H’s poems in the beginning of high school and have been obsessed with her work ever since. Her poems focus on body confidence and empowering women while taking a realistic approach to what it means to be a girl in today’s society. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you should definitely read her book, The Poetic Underground.
Now that you have a variety of inspiring women to choose from, treat yourself this International Women’s day to a new poetry collection that will leave you ready to take on the world!