Books

A meditation on the choice of not having children, and critique of the structures that condemn women who make an active choice not to be parents.

Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women is the first non-academic book written by Dr Caroline Magennis. Harpy explores stereotypes and cultural representations which serve to promote the idea that every woman should want to be a mother. The idea that women could choose a childless life seems to be anathema, but it’s an increasing fact, that each generation has more childless women than the last, with reasons ranging from more economic freedom for women, to the desire to prioritise career, or friendships. Caroline Magennis invites us to meditate on the privileges of this choice and to question the structures that condemn women who make an active choice not to be parents.