Author: Tales Before Bedtime

The Philosopher Queens

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Today I am delighted to be hosting the blog tour for The Philosopher Queens, edited by Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting

Synopsis

Where are all the women philosophers?

The history of philosophy has not done women justice: you’ve probably heard the names Plato, Kant, Nietzsche and Locke – but what about Hypatia, Arendt, Oluwole and Young?

The Philosopher Queens is a long-awaited book about the lives and works of women in philosophy by women in philosophy. This collection brings to centre stage twenty prominent women whose ideas have had a profound – but for the most part uncredited – impact on the world.
You’ll learn about Ban Zhao, the first woman historian in ancient Chinese history; Angela Davis, perhaps the most iconic symbol of the American Black Power Movement; Azizah Y. al-Hibri, known for examining the intersection of Islamic law and gender equality; and many more.

For anyone who has wondered where the women philosophers are, or anyone curious about the history of ideas – it’s time to meet the philosopher queens.

The Philosopher Queens – The lives and legacies of philosophy’s unsung women. Published 17th September by Unbound. Available in paperback and on ebook.

My thoughts

This is a much need and brilliantly curated book that celebrates a small selection of the great women thinkers past and present. I say a small selection – there are twenty featured here, far many more than are usually given space. In this glorious book they are given room to breath. Each essay is informative and intriguing. As a Librarian I feel that this would make an interesting read for any student of philosophy but more than that, anyone who is interested in history, the world and the thinkers who came before us – this gives a fresh insightful perspective.

The ladies featured are not shrouded in rose tinted specs. Each writer provides a balanced take on their subject, warts and all. It is an absolutely fascinating read, each section is written with finesse and all are compelling in their own way. Working in a Library I have come across a fair few of the women before. Indeed I often feature some in my displays for International Women’s Day. Hypatia, Mary Wollstonecraft, George Eliot, Simone De Beauvoir and the brilliant Iris Murdoch, but here within the pages of this book are so many more. It has been an education, and a very enjoyable one at that.

Visually, it’s stunning and the illustrations put me in mind of the fabulous Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls. The illustrator is credited as Emmy Smith and they are just beautiful. They really added another level of enjoyment to the book.

This is one book that I will be firmly placing on my Library bookshelves…and indeed my own.

How beautiful is this book!?

Thank you so much to Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and to the lovely people at Unbound for sending me the beautiful review copy. It was a joy to read. Beautiful and absolutely fascinating – what more could you want.

About the editors

Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting

Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting met at secondary school, where they discovered a shared passion for philosophy. Rebecca is a DPhil student at the University of Oxford, where her research focuses on the political rights of refugees and forced migrants. Lisa is completing her MSc in Government, Policy and Politics at Birkbeck, University of London. Alongside studying, she works as a policy advisor in areas concerning practical ethics.

The blog tour continues until the end of September.

The Haunting – A Short Story by Shelley Fallows

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Several years ago, I began a selection of short stories that explore the complexity of the mind. The time is right to continue. Each story published in bite sized parts of 500 words. We begin with….

The Haunting

a short story

by Shelley Fallows

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The ghost lingered. He was constantly playing with her: teasing, taunting and always just in the periphery of her subconscious. She sensed him everywhere, his presence a constant weight like the chains that rattled and haunted Ebenezer Scrooge’s dreams. The misery was hers alone, she dared not share her torment with anyone. After all who would believe such a thing. He filled her thoughts; his smell, the way he smiled, the look in his eyes. Gone but never forgotten. No matter how hard she tried.

She often wondered if it was her fault. If thinking of him allowed his spirit to linger, allowed the constant haunting she felt but couldn’t speak of. What would they think of her? She could see the doubt in their eyes even now. No, she must remain quiet. And still he was there, yet he wasn’t and a part of her missed him. The ache was gentle, soft and whispering. It came unexpectedly and took the breath from her in an instant. Oh god, how she missed him.

‘You’re beautiful.’
He’d said it so matter of fact that she’d thought she’d misheard him at first.
‘Pardon?’
‘You’re beautiful’
Her hands instinctively lifted to her hair, tucking it self-consciously behind her ears. But she smiled.

The memory seemed hazy now. Slightly obscure and faded. She’d been flattered of course. He had a charm that warmed her soul. He reminded her that she was still alive, that she had something to offer in a world driven by the pursuit of perfection, in a world where age causes you to slowly disappear like a photograph left in the sun too long.

‘What do you see in him?’ a friend had asked, and she shrugged. Everything.

There was a connection she couldn’t explain and when he’d looked at her, she felt he knew her and that she knew him. Of course, a look can be deceiving and can put words in our head that are never spoken. Words that are untrue but begin the gentle swell of thoughts that grow and grow into a tidal wave of emotions and misunderstanding. He was a lie, a dark dream that stole your sleep at night and clouds of darkness that suffocated your thoughts by day.

Then suddenly he was gone. He had left quietly without fuss and for a while she’d felt a sense of peace and relief that it was over. But obsession doesn’t sleep for long… it simply grows stronger.

The phone buzzed in her pocket. A brief sensation against her thigh, still again in an instant and yet its presence felt heavier somehow, the weight of meaning holding her attention. A moment’s hesitation and she could bear to wait no longer. A single line filled the screen.

I’ll always be with you.

A button pressed and the line was gone, replaced by an enquiry from her mother about timings for dinner that weekend. Yet the words lingered, she felt them floating around her.

I’ll always be with you.

To be continued…