Women and Power @Latitude

This afternoon, a host of brilliant and inspiring women took to the literature stage at Latitude festival to talk about women and power, feminism and everyday sexism.

Hosted by our co-founder bestselling novelist Kate Mosse, our panel included comedian, actress and writer Sara Pascoe, award-winning campaigner, Leyla Hussein, comedian and editor Amy Annette and novelist Naomi Alderman.

The packed crowd were first treated to a reading from Naomi Alderman’s new book The Power, in which women are suddenly made physically stronger than men.

The panel then moved onto a lively discussion about the meaning of power, feminism and how women can reclaim autonomy over their own lives.

Amy Annette on discovering feminism: ‘When I understood what feminism meant, it felt to me like a life raft.’

Leyla Hussein on education: ‘Even in our science textbooks, the organ of the clitoris is not there. The system does not allow women to be powerful. Education is absolutely key to this.’

Naomi Alderman on the latest wave of Feminism: ‘Feminism today, very excitingly, isn’t so much happening in academia, but on Tumblr.’

Leyla Hussein: ‘Being authentic to who I am is what power means to me’

Sara Pascoe on dealing with catcalls: ‘I’ll say (either out loud or in my head): ‘Please respect me, I am a queen.’

Leyla Hussein on campaigning to stop FGM: ‘I am the girl who runs around with vagina cupcakes, chasing Teresa May in the street’

Sara Pascoe on feminism’s flaws: ‘I hope every generation of feminists will be pointing out the failures of their forebears.’

Leila Hussein on Teresa May’s appointment to Number 10: ‘I shouldn’t feel I have to be grateful, just because our prime minister is a woman.’

Make sure you keep an eye on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all the news from the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction at Latitude, plus send us a photo of yourself with your favourite book by a woman to win a signed copy of our 2016 winner The Glorious Heresies, plus a bottle of Baileys!