Faced With Eviction, London’s Feminist Library Continues to Fight the Patriarchy

Faced With Eviction, London’s Feminist Library Continues to Fight the Patriarchy


Since 1975, the Feminist Library has been a pillar of London’s cultural scene, preserving an accumulation of feminist literature from around the world. With over 7,000 books and 1,500 periodicals occupying 85 meters of shelf space, it offers the public a collection of work that is difficult to rival and an inclusive environment. Now, however, the town this feminist haven has called home for more than 30 years wants them out—and soon.



by Charlotte Barnes / via the Feminist Library on Facebook

In December of 2015, the Southwark Council—an elected group of officials who preside over London’s Southwark district—increased rent for the library from £12,000 to a staggering £30,000 per year. The decision was an effective eviction notice for the space, which is volunteer-run and incapable of covering the increase. The library is no stranger to adversity, of course. In 1985, the Thatcher administration implemented a series of cuts on programs that promoted and preserved the Women’s Liberation Movement. The Greater London Council (GLC) Women’s Committee, the largest of these programs, inevitably met the ax, derailing many of the projects it actively funded. Miraculously, the Feminist Library managed to survive the onslaught of fiscal cut backs, but many of its allied organizations were not as lucky. Though the Thatcher era was not kind to the feminist movement, it served as a sobering reminder of the fragility of non-profit funding and the austerity of government.

Decades later, the library is once again at odds with the willful ignorance of local government. Like Thatcher, the Council’s actions are probably motivated by the possibility of economic gain. South East London is known for its “rough” reputation, so politicians may see the appeal in making space for residents and businesses that could raise property values—even if that means ignoring the library’s social and intellectual significance.

Southwark residents, of course, disagree. Recently, the library teamed up with FocusE15, a coalition dedicated to combating London’s pro-gentrification efforts, to create an “Anti-Gentrification Month” every July. Instead of building luxury condos and fancy restaurants in the hope of attracting wealthier residents, protesters argue, city officials should protect community organizations that allow for low-income families to thrive.

These days, women activists can head to the library not just for literature but also to access the library’s impressive feminist network. “The Feminist Library is about preserving and promoting women’s history but not in just a static, passive way,” says Zaimal Azad, the library’s Publicity and Communications Officer, “It’s a feminist space for women to come together and to organize from.” The library has not only become a landmark in its community, but a pivotal space for change-making.

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http://msmagazine.com/blog/2016/08/08/faced-with-eviction-londons-feminist-library-continues-to-fight-the-patriarchy/