Published in 2018
48 pages
Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, an ever-increasing collection of over 100,000 testimonies of gender inequality. The project has expanded into over 20 countries worldwide and become internationally renowned. Laura works closely with politicians, schools and universities worldwide, as well as bodies from the United Nations to the Council of Europe to combat gender inequality.
Owen Sheers is an author, poet and playwright. Winner of the 2018 Wilfred Owen Poetry Award, he has published two volumes of poetry The Blue Book and Skirrid Hill. His debut prose work The Dust Diaries won Welsh Book of the Year. His first novel Resistance has been translated into 11 languages and adapted as a film. His most recent novel I Saw a Man was shortlisted for the Prix Femina Etranger and is currently being adapted for TV. Owen’s theatrical writing includes National Theatre of Wales’ 72 hour site specific production The Passion, a play created with wounded service personnel – The Two Worlds of Charlie F, and National Theatre of Wales’ Mametz. His verse drama Pink Mist won the Hay Festival Poetry Award and was produced for stage by Bristol Old Vic. His BBC film The Green Hollow won three BAFTA and Grierson awards. He is currently Professor in Creativity at Swansea University, chair of Wales PEN Cymru.
What is this book about?
What do we want the future to look like?
How might we achieve equality between the sexes?
At a time when many are examining how to achieve a fairer world, Laura Bates and Owen Sheers write letters to the next generation in which they explore and plan for a future where women and men live free of gender prescription and expectation. Join them in their imagining and mapping-out of the benefits for all in creating an equal future.
At Hay Festival 2017, to celebrate our 30th anniversary which coincided with the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Theses, we commissioned 30 Reformations from our international speakers. Owen Sheers, inspired by Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, to look at the conversations we need to have with boys and men, reformed Masculinity. His tender, challenging poem addressed to his daughters, ‘The Men You’ll Meet’, was delivered to live audiences at Hay Festival. This year we have commissioned Laura Bates to write her own letter to future generations, ‘I Wish’. Together these letters produce a book rich in insight about the work needed to create a gender-equal society.
