The Lives of Women Without Children in Fiction and Non-fiction

Event Information

Join us for a special discussion about childlessness and the many considerations a woman may weigh when deciding whether to have children, including external factors and individual choice.

We'll be joined by Nicole Louie and Rose Diell. Nicole is the author of Others Like Me, a deeply personal exploration of childless and childfree women in their own words.

‘Louie’s tone is vulnerable and empathetic, making this a must-read for everyone.’ Stylist

Others Like Me is the story of fourteen women around the world, from different walks of life, who don’t have children. It’s also the story of why Nicole Louie had to find them and what they taught her. Part memoir, part exploration of childlessness through candid conversations, this book showcases the many ways in which people find fulfilment outside of parenthood. And because the social expectation to procreate weighs the most on women, Louie focuses solely on them, their experiences and how they flourish outside of motherhood. In doing so, she upends the stereotypes that diminish women who are not mothers and offers reassurance and companionship on a path less known.

Rose Diell is the author of the novel, Fledging.

When Lia lays an egg she doesn’t know what to do. At her age, it’s impossible to escape the baby question, and all her friends seem to be having children. She feels her heart’s not in it – but all the same, there’s the egg, impossible to ignore, lying in a nest of towels in the living room.

Her partner on tour on the other side of the world and her mother diagnosed with a terminal illness, Lia finds herself torn, unsure whether she’s ready to give up on her songwriting dreams; but time is running out, and she must make one of the biggest decisions of her life.

Beautifully written and brilliantly original, Fledging is a riveting tale that asks what it is to lead a meaningful life, and sounds a resounding call for women to make their own choices, whether that means embracing motherhood or living child-free.

"Fledging is a book which feels like it hatches as you read it: smart, surprising and wonderfully thought-provoking. Like a bizarre, brilliant cross of Featherhood and Grief is the Thing with Feathers." Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the Egg

The evening will be hosted by Monica Cardenas. Monica authors the Bad Mothers Substack. She holds a PhD in English from Royal Holloway, University of London, where she studied the intersection of maternity and female bodily autonomy, with a focus on the representation of non-maternal women in literature.

We hope you can join us for a fascinating evening of discussion, with the Real Magic bar open as usual. Doors from 6.30, event starts at 7pm.