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We Need To Talk About Florence Given.
If you’ve been following Florence Given, you’re as shocked as I am about the situation that has been unfolding between her and Chidera Eggerue, a.k.a. The Slumflower.
Florence’s book, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty, came out in 2020 and was described as “fearless,” “game-changing,” and “a mouthpiece for modern intersectional feminism”.
I have been following Florence for a couple of years. When her book came out, I was excited to read it. I finished it within a couple of days last September. Contrary to the exhilarating reviews the book had been getting, I was underwhelmed. I liked the illustrations, but I found the content shallow and filled with empty slogans such as “protect your energy,” “dump him,” and “never fake an orgasm”. Florence has been extremely active on her Instagram, sharing reviews by women who claimed that the book had changed their lives.
While reading, I remember feeling like the book was quite similar to Chidera’s What a Time to be Alone, which I read shortly after its publication in 2018. The books are strikingly similar in their cover, content, and format. Even Florence’s book title, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty, reminded me of a passage in Chidera’s book that I had drilled into my brain, like a mantra:
