This International Women’s Day the Akoya Team are looking forward to delving into books by, for, and about women. While there are countless books worth honoring, we have selected these seven books for their sincerity, insightfulness and lingering impact.

From memoir to poetry to novels to short fiction, these critically acclaimed writers explore the multifacetedness of womanhood and celebrate the resilience of women in the face of adversity. 

The Coin by Yasmin Zaher (Footnote Press)

This provocative and humorous debut follows the unraveling of a young Palestinian middle school teacher in New York as news about Gaza forces her to come face to face with her statelessness and generational trauma. At war with herself and her heritage, the protagonist gets involved in a pyramid scheme and becomes consumed by cleanliness, fashion and materialism in an attempt to regain control of her life. 

Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima (Penguin Classics)

Originally published in Japanese in 1979, this modern classic found its way to an English audience in 2019, three years after the death of its author. The novel follows a young woman and her toddler after the separation from her husband, as she struggles to manage single parenting and societal expectations while her mental health deteriorates. Today the novel is celebrated for its authentic portrayal of hopelessness and parental guilt. 

Goodlord: An Email by Ella Frears (Rough Trade Books)

What began as an exasperated email to her landlord about the uninhabitable state of her flat transforms into a 200 page epic of confessional poetry. Her soliloquy introduces the reader to greedy landlords, frugal employers and ravenous men who treat her with a carelessness equal to that of the many flats, house shares and university halls she has lived in. This Forward Prize shortlist is a frustratingly relatable poetry-autofiction hybrid about the longing for a functional home.

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib (Quercus Books)

Habib’s memoir takes place from childhood until adulthood as her family moves from Pakistan to Canada. She exceedingly tests the boundaries set in place by her family, as she learns how to balance  her budding sexuality and her relationship with Islam. The book is an empowering guide to figuring out ones identity and a stern reminder of how there is no one way to exist as a queer person, or as a person of faith.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo (Penguin)

Named one of Barack Obama’s favorite novels of 2019, this Booker Prize recipient follows 12 women whose lives are intertwined across several decades. Frustrated with the lack of representation of black British women in literature, Evaristo set out to portray the intersectionality of these women, depicting different ages, sexualities, class struggles and their varying experiences with racism, politics, success, privilege and relationships. 

My Pen is the Wing of a Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women (Quercus Books)

This historical collection is the first ever anthology of short stories written by Afghan women. The 18 stories draw attention to the harrowing hardships that women face in a country plagued by bombings, domestic violence, hate crimes and limited access to education. As haunting and heartbreaking as it is, the collection also emphasises the hope, perseverance and resilience that echoes amongst the authors.