We are so excited to welcome author, journalist & creator Jess Bacon to Rare Birds in June to discuss her debut non-fiction book, I’m Just a Girl: How Reclaiming Girlhood Can Redefine Womanhood.

I'm Just a Girl is a feminist critical theory book that examines how the resurgence of girlhood in film, fashion and pop culture has allowed women to reconnect with their inner girl to bring more joy into their adult lives and be more curious about what their adult life could look life and forge a sense of community with other women both on and offline. 

Jess will be in conversation with our owner, Rachel Wood. There will also be time for a Q&A at the end of the talk. This is one you won't want to miss!

Timings

• Doors open from: 6:30pm
• Talk begins: 7:00pm 
• Event ends: 8.30pm

About the book

It is a truth universally acknowledged that boys will be boys and girls have to grow up.

Over the past decade, girlhood has repainted the cultural landscape pink. From Taylor Swift's Eras tour to Barbiemania, this nostalgia for girlhood has become a billion-dollar business, seen in the music we listen to, the clothes we wear and the 2000s movies (and their long-awaited sequels) we watch on repeat.

But at a time when women's rights are being rewritten, this resurgence in girlhood is complicated. Women are caught between a genuine desire to relive the wild freedom, joy and safety found in girlhood, while facing an ever-growing pressure to hold onto their youth. The world demands women continue to look like girls, yet they are rarely given the space to actually be girls.

In I'm Just a Girl, journalist Jess Bacon introduces readers to the 'second girlhood', the extended adolescence that allows us to recover the part of ourselves we left behind. Reconnecting with our inner girl is an empowering act of rebellion. It offers a return to creativity and play that can ultimately improve our relationships, our mental wellbeing and establish a renewed sense of self. It is a reclaiming of what was once taken from us.

For far too long we have been presented with a false choice between womanhood and girlhood - this book is a celebration of a new way of being where we can fully embrace both.

About the author

Jess Bacon is an author, journalist and creator based in Cambridgeshire, who covers film, TV and pop culture, and the representation of women on-screen. She has written for the likes of Stylist, Glamour, The Guardian, Radio Times, Rolling Stone, GQ, Elle and Dazed, Stone, as well as interviewed numerous actors, directors and creatives.

Jess studied English Literature at the University of York, before doing her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Leicester. When she's not writing, you'll find her at the cinema, oversharing her life on the internet, devouring the latest must-read romantasy or spending time with her family and friends.

If you have any questions regarding the event or to request additional accessibility accommodations please contact hello@rarebirdsbooks.com