(photo of Hannah considering her TBR pile, by Tom Trevatt)

If you’ve been in the audience for a virtual talk I’ve given, you have likely witnessed the Rainbow Bookcase of Joy. Yes I have rainbow colour-co-ordinated my non-fiction collection behind my head and I regret NOTHING.

This bookcase is particularly handy when I am giving talks and want to recommend books, which I will grab off the shelf with wild abandon and brandish at my webcam (honestly, my talks are quite the ride!). Now we’re slowly returning to more in-person events though, I miss my bookcase, and apparently trying to drag 250 books behind me on my powerchair is ‘not practical Hannah’, so here’s the next best thing; a list of some of the books I love and have found really helpful in shaping my thinking. Except there are MANY I want to brandish at you, so this is going to be the first of a series of themed posts of recommendations. Still to come are posts on Sexuality and Sexual Health, Disability, and Gender… and probably more, because it’s me. There will likely be duplications across lists, and that’s because they’re so good you should read them twice.

The Diversity and Inclusion Glossary, Dr Tony Malone

I am always going to want to start with a book by someone I hugely admire and greatly appreciate, and this is such a helpful go-to guide from a man who has taught me so much in the couple of years we have worked together. Tony’s knowledge of all things EDI is pretty much unrivalled, so I needed to share the joy that is his amazing book with you.

The Authority Gap, Mary Ann Sieghart

I love the way that this book uses data to lay out the many ways our behaviours towards colleagues and clients differs based purely on their gender – using clear facts and figures makes it very hard to argue with, and really made me question my own unconscious biases.

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge

This book should probably be mandatory reading for everyone in the UK, a clear and concise reflection on race relations in the UK, which rightly got MANY people talking when it came out.

Being Heumann – The Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, Judith Heumann with Kristen Joiner

There are a few people I really wish I’d had the opportunity to meet. Judy Heumann is very high up there. One of the greatest Disability Rights Advocates of all time, her experiences trying to enter the workplace and what she did next have shaped the lives of many of us – but she would be the first to say we still have a long way to go. This book is gripping and hard to read without immediately wanting to chain yourself to something in protest.

Equal – How we fix the Gender Pay Gap, Carrie Gracie

I am a bit of a Pay Gaps Geek. I spend an inordinate amount of my time talking about them, and this book is probably the best primer, based on Gracie’s own experience. There are useful tips, knowledge and legalese, all presented in a sensible and manageable way.

We Can Do Better Than This – 35 Voices on the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights, Edited by Amelia Abraham

This amazing book brings together 35 LGBTQ+ writers from around the world, discussing the work we still have to do to improve the lives of our community. At a time when it feels that we are being attacked from every side, when hate crime against us continues to rise – this book matters.

In Black and White, Alexandra Wilson

An incredible case study of a young lawyer who outlines her experiences as a mixed race junior barrister, inspired to take on the career in part due to the inequalities she has seen in the criminal justice system, and the multiple barriers she has experienced in her career.

Invisible Women Caroline Criado Perez

This is a big book, full of data and studies which outlines the Gender Data Gap, and the myriad ways in which women are disadvantaged by living in a world designed for men. The kind of book full of important facts you will find yourself citing at every opportunity.

Pregnant then Screwed/The Motherhood Penalty Joeli Brearley

My copy of this is FULL of markers and underlining and the signs of frustration an rage at ALL THE INEQUALITY. SO much anger, but also so much hope and suggestions for progress. There are many ways we can make change happen – so read this and get cracking!