'Victoria Smith is a brilliant writer who every feminist should read' Sharron Davies
'Erudite blisteringly smart and profoundly compassionate... A must-read for anyone hungry to
understand the origins and dangers of contemporary exhortations to women to #BeKind and for
everyone who wants to live a feminist life' Dr Rachel Hewitt A brilliantly witty and
insightful analysis of how kindness culture is used against women. Using the #JustBeKind
trend of the 2020s as a starting point (Un)kind explores how traditional beliefs about women's
'kind' nature have been repackaged for an age that remains dependent - socially politically
economically - on female self-sacrifice while finding the concept outdated and essentialist.
Looking at the various guises under which kindness culture is sold to women and girls - from
play to self-help social justice activism to empowerment - Victoria Smith argues that the
pressure on women and girls has not decreased but instead been incorporated into the 'work' of
feminism. (Un)kind analyses the way in which this phenomenon ultimately distorts relationships
harming not just those coerced into performing 'kindness work' but the supposed recipients of
their services. Kindness culture supports the backlash against feminism while claiming to
represent feminism's - and women's - true nature. It is at heart unkind. PRAISE FOR HAGS
'The greatest joy of Hags is its lively erudition . . . eloquent clever and devastating' The
Times 'A book that could not be more necessary' Observer 'Brilliantly witty engaging and
insightful' Scotsman
