#OzFeminism Poster and Work to be Done

Hello Darling Readers,

Well this has been a fairly awful day.

Donald Trump is America’s future President.

A candidate endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan, who boasted of sexually assaulting women, vilifying minorities, mocking the differently-abled, and … I don’t want to go on. Because I can’t believe I have to.

I can’t believe the most over-qualified candidate in any Presidential election lost to a fear-mongering misogynist who ran on a platform of sexism and xenophobia. And won.

But that’s where we are.

And America may not be my country, but I live in the free world that it purports to be the leader of, and I’m devastated.

Shocked, and devastated.

It feels like a second Dark Age has just been ushered in – a rejection of freedom and egalitarian values, of knowledge and enlightenment.

But that’s where we are.

… except, it’s not.

Or at least, it doesn’t have to be

My favourite response to this moment in time comes from actor, composer, rapper, writer, and ironically the creator of musical Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda. He tweeted this, in response to someone making the millionth ‘moving to Canada joke.’

There’s work to do.

Amen.

And right now I’m thinking of America’s youth.

I’m thinking of young LGBTQ+, differently abled, Muslim, black, Hispanic, and so many more young people … and I’m thinking we’ve all got to be there for them.

We’ve got work to do.

Not just Americans, but all of us.  

Because America is not alone in their toxic bigotry and conservatism.  

The United Kingdom voted for Brexit on the back of anti-immigration rhetoric, and here in Australia we’ve ushered back in the xenophobic One Nation Party. And Celeste Liddle is right; ‘There are too many battles going on here of which far too much of the public remain blissfully ignorant…’

It’s not good enough to throw stones in glass houses; when Australia doesn’t have marriage equality and we’re torturing refugees.

We’ve got work to do.

We all do.

And because my background is in books, I’m thinking of Neil Gaiman’s commencement speech and his call to ‘Make Good Art’.

I’m thinking of the books written by Sara Farizan, CeCe Bell, Jacqueline Woodson, Angela Johnson, Corinne Duyvis, Tim Federle, David Levithan, Sherman Alexie, and so many more.

I’m thinking of the books written by Will Kostakis, Ambelin Kwaymullina, Erin Gough, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Robert Hoge, Rebecca Lim, Jared Thomas, Garth Nix and so many more.

How Stephen King says; “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”

I hope all those stories, and so many more yet to be written illuminate the way for young people. I hope they continue to make them feel safe and loved, and not so alone.

And it’s in that spirit that I offer you this new poster – designed by Jessica Harvie – and based on a concept from the both of us.

We had hoped to share this in solidarity and celebration with the United States, for their breaking the glass ceiling and ushering in a new chapter of history.

Instead, we’re still offering this in solidarity and celebration – but with a more sombre note.

This is an #OzFeminism poster. A collection of books celebrating Australian feminist writers and stories by women, about women, for everyone.

We recommend these stories.

We support these books.

We hope you don’t feel so alone.

Because there’s work to do, and it can only be done together.

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