Women's Bookclub x DUS

Invitation: A Literary Journey into the Heart of Modern Feminism (1900–1950)

Dear fellow readers and explorers,

Have you ever wondered how the "modern woman" was actually born? Not just as a political concept, but as a lived, breathed, and written reality?

I am just starting a new English-speaking Book Club, and I want to invite you on a curated journey through the first half of the 20th century. Together, we will trace the footsteps of women who redefined what it means to be an individual.

Our Roadmap: World Building & Literature
We won't just read novels; we will engage in "World Building" by reading historical accounts alongside fiction to understand the physical and social spaces these women occupied. Our goal is to trace the path from Virginia Woolf’s fundamental demand for a "room of one’s own" to Simone de Beauvoir’s radical philosophical definition of womanhood.

A note on my background: I don’t have an academic background in literature—I’m simply someone with a passion for these stories and their history. And I figured why not read them as a group? This club is about exploring these powerful works together and enjoying the process.

Phase 1: The London Foundations & The Cracks in the Facade
Virginia Woolf: A Room of One's Own
Katherine Mansfield: Selected Short Stories
Francesca Wade: Square Haunting (World Building)

Phase 2: The Radical Parisian Exile & The Avant-Garde Networks
Gertrude Stein: The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
Djuna Barnes: Nightwood
Jean Rhys: Good Morning, Midnight
Shari Benstock: Women of the Left Bank (World Building)

Phase 3: The Existential Synthesis & The Final Theory
Simone de Beauvoir: She Came to Stay
Agnès Poirier: Left Bank (1940–1950) (World Building)
Simone de Beauvoir: The Second Sex

Join the Journey:
Start: July
When: Every 2nd Thursday of the month at 19:00 (7 PM).
Location: To be determined (TBD).
Language: English.
Target Group: Women of all ages and backgrounds.

Commitment: To keep our discussions deep and consistent, the group is limited to 15 participants. Since we are following a curated path, I am looking for people who are motivated to follow the entire curriculum and grow together as a group.

Spirit: Curious, analytical, and collaborative. No prior expertise is required—just a love for books and a curiosity about the women who changed the world.

Are we going to walk the streets of Bloomsbury and the Left Bank together?

IMPORTANT:This group is a safe, inclusive, and intersectional space for women of all backgrounds. We value critical thinking and respectful dialogue.