What books have helped you rethink the world? What stories have given you language for rage, healing, or hope? What writing has stayed with you long after you closed the final page?
This list began with those questions. And what came back was a beautiful range of responses: books that crack things open, that offer frameworks for change, that tell the truth with tenderness or fire—sometimes both. From radical memoirs to sharp political analysis, from experimental fiction to practical guides for community healing, this collection brings together texts that ask us to pause, to listen, to learn, and to move.
Generously shared by friends, colleagues, and comrades, these recommendations reflect the expansive nature of social justice and human rights work. You’ll find titles that dig deep into the politics of gender, race, and class; reflections on organising and care; storytelling as resistance; and writing that holds the future close.
This is a snapshot of what’s resonating right now, and an invitation to keep adding, sharing, and reading together.
You can dive into the full list here:
???? Explore the community reading list by clicking here
???? Thank you to everyone who contributed. Your book recommendations are nourishment.
What’s inside the list?
We’ve loosely grouped the titles into non-fiction, fiction, workbooks, and articles. There are overlaps, of course, because real life doesn’t fit neatly into categories, and neither do these books. Whether you’re looking for visionary thinking, everyday tools, or the comfort of a powerful story, we hope something here sparks something in you.
Whether you’re looking for intellectual depth, emotional resonance, or tools for real-world change, this list has something for you. Here’s what you’ll find:
✊ Non-Fiction
Ideas, histories, and first-hand accounts that illuminate systems, and how to change them. You’ll find classic and contemporary works on feminism, climate justice, decoloniality, intersectionality, organising, and more.
???? Think: Angela Davis, adrienne maree brown, bell hooks, Naomi Klein, Françoise Vergès.
???? Workbooks
Because knowing is one thing, but practicing is another.
These are hands-on guides for community accountability, facilitation, healing, and reflection.
???? Highlights: “Fumbling Towards Repair” by Mariame Kaba & Shira Hassan.
???? Fiction
Stories that reveal, disrupt, and imagine other ways of being.
From speculative worlds to grounded tales of resistance, these novels carry emotional and political weight.
✨ Expect titles by Octavia Butler, Imbolo Mbue, Madhuri Vijay, and more.
???? Articles
Short-form brilliance that sharpens thinking and deepens perspective.
These essays touch on feminist storytelling, caste and religious oppression, digital ethics, and narrative as resistance.
???? Featured voices include Anna Chau and Shivangi Mariam Raj.