Although wishing at times for a more personal touch, Hayley Foster da Silva is impressed by the breadth of She Bop, the recently revised and updated third edition of Lucy O'Brien's history of women and the music industry, and is pleased to come away from the book with lots of new information
Are feminists in the mainstream under pressure to be politically subtle in the current so-called post-feminist climate? This is the concluding installment of Holly's two-part interview with Gaptooth about the song 'Ladykillers'. You can read the earlier blog entry here
Gaptooth is a synth pop act with an unambiguously feminist message. Holly speaks to her about the forthcoming single 'Ladykillers' and its significance, in anticipation of its 10 December release on International Human Rights Day
A guest Song of the day post from Marianna Karakoulaki who, in the light of negative attitudes towards feminism, has found an inspiring message in 'Summertime'. If you'd like to contribute a guest Song of the day piece, please contact Holly (holly DOT Combe AT thefword DOT org DOT UK).
This anthem's status as an end-of-night cliché could make it harder to appreciate but it has been said that it is "regarded by the feminist movement as a totemic statement"
In the wake of the Jubilee and its proliferation of patriotic kitsch, Laura Brightwell examines the rise of retro chic in Britain and whether cupcake feminism has more substance than its real-life namesake