The Vancouver Women’s Library

In 2017 I co-founded The Vancouver Women's Library. Inspired by women-centered spaces of the past, and counterpublics of women developing around free access to women's writing, the VWL is as much a revival of feminist bookstores and women's presses as it is a re-imagination of what libraries can do for social movements. Having started with only 80 books in my artist studio, we ended up with approximately 2000 women-authored publications from sci-fi to memoirs, with hundreds of female members and a proper store front thanks to generous donations and support from around the world. Having grown far beyond a personal project, the VWL blossomed into a vibrant community of women with the help of incredible volunteers and local encouragement. The following first five photographs are by Emma Devin.