The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht
| Company type | Imprint |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Parent | Little, Brown Book Group |
The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht: Perspectives from Scotland's Frontline in the Fight for Women's Rights is a 2024 anthology of gender-critical essays, curated by Susan Dalgety, a columnist for The Scotsman, alongside Lucy Hunter Blackburn, an author and former civil servant with the Scottish Government. Constable, an imprint under the Little, Brown Book Group, released the volume on 30 May.
J. K. Rowling explained in a tweet that the term 'wheesht' translates to "'be quiet' or 'hush,'" emphasizing the book’s central theme of breaking silence.
Summary
According to Constable, The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht narrates "the experiences of women who jeopardized their careers, reputations, and even familial relationships to ensure their voices were heard, inadvertently playing a role in the political downfall of Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first female First Minister."
The collection contains more than 30 essays contributed by figures such as author J. K. Rowling, Member of Parliament Joanna Cherry, Member of the Scottish Parliament Ash Regan, and ex-prison governor Rhona Hotchkiss. Rowling defends safeguarding women's sex-based rights and expresses in a condensed essay published in The Times that she perceives the sociopolitical movement affirming ‘trans women are women’ as "deeply misogynistic, regressive, dangerous in certain aims, and overtly authoritarian in methods."
In The Sunday Times, editors encapsulate the book’s principal message with the quote "I won’t be forced to say women’s bodies don’t matter — aren’t matter," attributed to the anonymous X user @Dis_Critic, who initiated the hashtag #WomenWontWheesht.
Reception
Upon release, The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht entered The Sunday Times bestseller list for general hardbacks at position number three.
Sarah Ditum, writing for The Times, praises the book’s examination of Scotland’s intricate history and its impact on embracing trans activism, describing it as a feminist "resistance voiced through the women who led it."
John McInnally of the Morning Star regards the essays as possessing "significant historical, political, and social importance," revealing what he describes as "gender ideology" being "regressive and reactionary." He underscores that these left-leaning female contributors champion sex-based rights with "honesty, defiance, and determination."
India Willoughby, a transgender journalist for PinkNews, critiques the volume for its gender-critical stance and questions Waterstones’ decision to feature it on their new releases list given their pro-trans policies. Waterstones responded by stating that their list aims to present a comprehensive selection of recent publications across various genres.