'Remarkable . . . this book is the hope that so many people are searching for' Zimmer Magazine
To complain is an intimate dangerous act. Whether it's speaking up about racism in the
workplace or taking a stand against sexual harassment at university the act of complaining to
an institution can leave you isolated and undermined all while the original injustice remains
unresolved. Time and time again we see these unanswered complaints compound to disastrous
effect. In No is Not a Lonely Utterance Sara Ahmed dissects the anatomy of a complaint
revealing how institutions create hostile environments that stigmatize complainers and charts
a way we can listen to grievances with 'feminist ears': going beyond mere validation and
seeking instead to address the root causes of injustice and inequality. Weaving together
testimonies from various walks of life Ahmed shows us what we learn about the ways
institutions exercise their power when complaints are raised and indeed what we learn about
our capacity to collectivize and create social bonds through complaint. In doing so she
inspires us to create better environments for our life's work.
