Speak Up!

by Laura Coryton

Overview

Use your voice to change the world!
Don’t just read about inspiring women: become one!

Speaking up can be difficult, but did you know just how powerful your own voice can be?

Speak Up! is the must-have empowering book to inspire a whole new generation of rebel girls.

Written by Laura Coryton, who led the international campaign against tampon tax, Speak Up! is a vital and timely book exploring what it means to stand up for what you believe in on both a public and personal level. Laura explores how to make sure your voice is heard as well as what happens when your voice is challenged by others. She tackles tricky subjects like feminism, consent, online bullying and self-confidence in a meaningful but accessible and entertaining way.

With a positive message about friendship, female empowerment and standing up for who you are, this is the perfect gift for girls aged 12+. Inspiring, warm and honest, this conversational and big-sisterly guide is the must-have girl power book.

"Speak Up! is a wonderful and timely guide to activism for women and girls brought up in the age of the internet and social media. It is wholly accessible, fun and quirky, full of Laura Coryton's own experiences with the very successful tampon tax campaign. I highly recommend it – and hope the book helps to galvanise the next generation." – Helen Pankhurst, great granddaughter of suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, author and women's rights activist

Laura Coryton is an inspirational young woman who led the international campaign against tampon tax which gained over a quarter of a million signatures and has led to changes both in UK and European law. Laura was featured in the BBC's 100 Women series of 2016. She also won one of the Guardian's New Radical Thinker awards and was named 2015's top unknown world change maker by the Independent. She has recently completed an M.St in Women's Studies at the University of Oxford.

Laura regularly speaks at schools about the trials and tribulations of being a female campaigner. She aims to advise and empower girls who might want to start their own campaigns or get involved with politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780008552657
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.81(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.56(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Laura Coryton is an inspirational young woman who led the international campaign against tampon tax which gained over a quarter of a million signatures and has led to changes both in UK and European law. Laura was featured in the BBC's 100 Women series of 2016. She also won one of the Guardian's New Radical Thinker awards and was named 2015's top unknown world change maker by the Independent. She has recently completed an M.St in Women's Studies at the University of Oxford.

Laura regularly speaks at schools about the trials and tribulations of being a female campaigner. She aims to advise and empower girls who might want to start their own campaigns or get involved with politics.

You can follow her on Twitter: @LauraCoryton

Editorial Reviews

10/24/2022

Claiming that “this book will help you to change the things in the world that shock you,” British activist Coryton offers a handy guidebook that explores the steps one can take to incite meaningful change. Using her own “successful campaign that ended the hugely unfair ‘tampon tax’ ” in the U.K. as the foundation, the author takes readers through her process, breaking down the step-by-step system via chapters that detail her campaign’s development from conception to execution. Chapter two provides a metaphorical checklist (“Speak Up Toolkit”) divided into five action items: solidifying one’s goals, identifying the decision makers, doing research, creating a platform, and planning the movement launch. Subsequent chapters discuss what to do if the plan fails, how to handle pushback, and how to keep momentum going. By using a proven example of change as the book’s basis, Coryton presents fighting to make a difference through concrete, methodical, and achievable goals, reminding young activists that “there is power in your voice.” Featuring grayscale and yellow illustrations that evoke a superhero theme, this well-organized work skillfully provides a framework for effective advocacy. Back matter includes Coryton’s original campaign timeline and additional resources. Ages 12–up. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

2022-08-31
This tool kit encourages speaking up to promote change in issues that matter to teens.

Fed up with period products being considered a luxury in the U.K. and taxed as such, the author took on the tampon tax. Starting with a petition, she found the internet to be a superpower as hundreds of thousands of people signed—and others were inspired to launch similar campaigns around the world. By illuminating this facet of sexism, Coryton was able to focus on a tangible goal and create an action plan with what she calls “five golden steps”: Be specific, be focused, be smart, be creative, and be confident. Recognizing that teens may be passionate about a wide range of different topics, the book provides valuable tips and specific examples of successes and setbacks to guide readers through their own activism. Accessibility is a strength, as the book can be read straight through or dipped into as desired. The author’s enthusiasm is contagious. Unfortunately, the work has not been updated since its original U.K. publication in early 2019. In stark contrast to Coryton’s use of inclusive language, such as “people who menstruate” and “menstruating people,” and her praise and quoting of trans activist Charlie Craggs, this U.S. edition retains a paragraph lauding J.K. Rowling for standing up against online trolls, an example that, due to subsequent events, will dismay readers who have followed Rowling’s comments about trans rights.

An upbeat handbook for young changemakers. (timeline, index, resources) (Nonfiction. 12-17)

Kirkus Reviews