Hi, I’m Katrina - Here’s Why I Founded City of Ladies Books
I’m Katrina, a lifelong reader and writer living in South Philadelphia with my boyfriend and our two cats, Cannoli and Biscotti.
It has always been a dream to open my own bookstore (so basic, I know), but I haven’t been inspired until I moved to Philly. The city is full of inspiration — so many small businesses and creatives that fill my cup daily. I want to make my own contribution.
And City of Ladies Books was born.
It all started while I was in undergrad. At some point I realized that the vast majority of books that I read were written by women or non-binary authors. Once I became aware of this, I made the conscious decision to only read books by women and non-binary people.
Why did I do this? Several reasons, but the most straightforward one is that I do not care for what men have to say. When it comes to novels, I have found that women can write about the same subjects just as well, if not better, than men.
As soon as I made this change in my reading habits, I noticed an enormous disparity in the kinds of books women and non-binary authors are allowed to publish. And I use the word “allowed” intentionally. Traditional publishing acts as a gatekeeper, deeming what is and is not considered literature and more importantly sellable. Publishers are businesses at the end of the day and profits are more important than curating a portfolio of diverse, thoughtful books.
Let’s start with fiction.
Gabriella Montez in High School Musical (2006), the original “girl brings book to party
I have never had an issue finding books authored by women/non-binary people that I’m interested in while browsing the fiction section of my local bookstore. Across all genres, there are many stories centered around the experiences of historically underrepresented communities that I find interesting.
Nonfiction has been an entirely different experience.
From 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), a perfect movie
While browsing dozens and dozens of bookstores, I struggle to find Nonfiction books authored by women/non-binary people that are not related to parenting, self-help, or other “female”-centric topics. If I want to read a book about World War II, it’s going to be tough finding something that is written by a women or non-binary person and isn’t about Rosie the Riveter or female soldiers or specific notable women during that time period.
On the other hand, I have discovered dozens of historians, scientists, anthropologists, and other experts in their field that I never would have otherwise, if I wasn’t digging for books that fit my parameters.
All in all, I want to bring attention to this disparity in authorship and elevate women and non-binary authors, especially ones that are not on any bestsellers lists or famous book clubs. I’m not going to shout out the book you can find at the airport or at the very front of Barnes & Noble. I’m searching out the diamonds in the rough, the ones out of print or published more than five years ago and didn’t' get their due.
That is the goal of City of Ladies Books.
Thank you for joining me.