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My Body, My Book Club

BODILY AUTONOMY: UNITING THROUGH BOOKS

Find out our next read
In collaboration with The Vavengers
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About the Book Club

My Body, My Book Club aims to connect people and create communities. We read fiction books (with the odd memoir here and there too) that deal with different aspects of how we understand bodily autonomy and exemplify how we can get involved and support each other.

Issues such as gender-based violence, racism, homelessness, displacement, abortion, obstetric violence, and the rights of marginalised communities, like the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ groups, are just some of the topics we cover.

All opinions expressed during book club meetings are those of individuals and do not necessarily reflect those of My Body, My Book Club or the charities it supports.

How it Works

We know this is heavy stuff, but the book club hopes to foster empathy as well as raise awareness and question established narratives. Our main goal is to connect communities. So, for each session, we partner with a charity working with the subject we will be reading about in the novel, and we invite an expert on the topic to join our chat. (Also, all proceeds from the sale of tickets will be donated to the month’s charity.)

Too Busy to Read the Book?

We understand that people are busy and life happens – so please do join us even if you don’t manage to finish the book in time. We will also always provide other ways in which you can get involved and learn more about the subject in the "Next Book" section, whether it’s through a video or a blog post.

About the Host

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Dr Julia Martins is a historian of the body, an activist, and an unapologetic bookworm. She is an Activism Outreach Supporter with The Vavengers, a member of the Charity Committee of the FGM Education Project, and an editor at the Feminist Perspectives Collective.

She writes about gender history and history of medicine, and how history can inform contemporary feminism.

You can check out her YouTube channel Living History and her website, and follow her on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram.

My Body, My Book Club was launched as part of her involvement in the Abortion Rights UK Activist Bootcamp.

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Next book

The Magnetic Girl by Jessica Handler

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In this gorgeously envisioned debut, set as the emergence of electricity and women’s desire for political, cultural, and sexual power electrified the country, a young woman’s rise to Vaudeville fame exposes secrets of her family’s past—and the keys to her own future.

In rural north Georgia two decades after the Civil War, thirteen-year-old Lulu Hurst discovers an obscure book by legendary Mesmerist Henrietta Wolf on her father’s shelf. After Lulu uses Wolf’s wisdom to convince a cousin she can conduct electricity with her touch, her father sees an opportunity. Her father’s lessons transform Lulu, once deemed gangly and indelicate, into an electrifying new woman: The Magnetic Girl, captivating enthusiastic crowds by lifting grown men in parlor chairs, throwing them across the stage with her “electrical charge.”

As her notoriety grows, Lulu harbors a secret belief that she can use the power of Mesmerism to heal her disabled baby brother, Leo, with whom she shares a profound and supernatural mental connection. To help him, she delves into the mysterious book’s pages, determined to harness Wolf’s teachings and convince herself, and the world, that her gifts are authentic. But will they be enough to heal her family?

Based on true events, this award-winning novel is a unique portrait of a forgotten period in history, seen through the story of one young woman’s power over her family, her community, and ultimately, herself.

We encourage everyone to borrow books from their local library, but if you plan on buying a copy, please do so through here.

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    In May we are featuring The Vavengers, who are working to end FGM and support survivors through education, advocacy, and community-led care.

    About our Guest

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    Jessica Handler is the author of the novel The Magnetic Girl, winner of the 2020 Southern Book Prize, an Indie Next pick, Wall Street Journal Spring 2019 pick, Bitter Southerner Summer 2019 pick, and a SIBA Okra Pick. Her memoir, Invisible Sisters, was named one of the “Twenty Five Books All Georgians Should Read,” and her craft guide Braving the Fire: A Guide to Writing About Grief and Loss was praised by Vanity Fair magazine. Her writing has appeared on NPR, in Tin House, Drunken Boat, The Bitter Southerner, Brevity, Creative Nonfiction, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Electric Lit, and More Magazine. She teaches “she teaches in a variety of MFA writing programs, and lectures internationally on writing.
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    The Vavengers is a UK-based charity working to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and support survivors through education, advocacy, and community outreach. By collaborating with grassroots organisations and frontline professionals, the Vavengers raise awareness, promote prevention, and provide trauma-informed care for those affected. Their focus on survivor-led initiatives helps create informed, safe spaces where women's voices shape the response to FGM and wider gender-based violence.

    NEXT EVENT

    The Magnetic Girl

    8th of May 2025

    6:30 pm to 7:30 pm (UK Time)

    Online (Zoom)

    Limited places available

    Minimum Donation: £3

    (all proceeds go to The Vavengers)

    Book your place now

    Upcoming books

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    Life, Almost

    by Jennie Agg

    June 5th 2025

    With Jennie Agg

    Sign Up
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    Others Like Me

    by Nicole Louie

    July 3rd 2025

    With Nicole Louie

    Sign Up

      Previous books

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      Trans-Crip-T Cover
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      The Island of Missing Trees book cover
      alice walker possessing the secret of joy cover
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      woman of the ashes book cover
      Nevada book cover
      Beloved book cover
      Larger Than an Orange Book Cover
      Eleven Hours cover
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      The Lonely Londoners Book Cover
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        Stay in touch

        Contact

        Any questions or suggestions, feel free to email us at:

        contact@mybodymybookclub.com

        or find us on twitter:

        @bodybookclub