Icon lands manifesto for child-free women from Magennis

Icon has landed a manifesto for child-free women from Dr Caroline Magennis. 

Ellen Conlon, senior commissioning editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women from Silé Edwards of Andrew Nurnberg Associates. Connor Stait is working on the book while Conlon is on maternity leave. It will publish in spring 2024.  

Harpy explores stereotypes and cultural representations which serve to promote the idea that every woman should want to be a mother. The publisher said: “The idea that women could choose a childless life seems to be anathema, but it’s an increasing fact, that each generation has more childless women than the last, with reasons ranging from more economic freedom for women, to the desire to prioritise career, or friendships. Caroline Magennis invites us to meditate on the privileges of this choice and to question the structures that condemn women who make an active choice not to be parents.” 

Stait said: “Harpy is an extremely timely and incisive book, arriving at the perfect moment. Caroline explores why motherhood isn’t right for every woman with real precision and insight, and her writing is illuminating and thought provoking. Icon are immensely proud to be working on this title.” 

Edwards added: “Caroline has a way of being both galvanising and extremely comforting. Her defence of choice for women could not be coming out at a better time, and is able to cut to the core of why we need to be at the heart of every discussion about our bodies and lives. I cannot wait to see this book out in the world.” 

Magennis also commented: “It’s been a joy to work with the team at Icon on a book that is very personal. I want it to offer hopeful alternatives to the divisive language that we often see around mothers, the involuntarily childless and the child-free by choice. While more and more women make this decision for themselves, reproductive rights are under threat across the globe — this book seeks to celebrate the women who have blazed a trail for us while being on guard never to take our freedoms for granted.”