Social Action Reading List for 2023

On World Book Day, a parting gift from outgoing Oxford Hub CEO Sara Fernandez…

For the last four years, I’ve compiled a social action reading list for Oxford Hub. Slightly delayed, here’s the 2023 list!

I always struggle to write this list without describing every book as ‘inspiring’ (!) but really, these books are what we all need to keep working for justice in the world around us, even when the work is hard. If you have missed previous lists you can find 2022 here, 2021 here, 2020 here, and 2019 here.

I’m leaving Oxford Hub and the world of place-based social change and starting a job with Now Foster, a not-for-profit organisation working to design and deliver a new model of support for foster carers. In some ways, my reading over the last few months reflects this change too, but I think that the list below contains lots of awesome reads for anyone who is motivated by social justice.

Read on to discover some excellent books — with thanks to Emma, Anna, Emily, and Sarah. who made some of these recommendations originally, as well as the publishers who provided free advance review copies!

• January — Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott. The book is an incredible feat of reporting on child poverty in the US, focusing on one girl and her family’s experiences of homelessness, but spanning all manner of ‘systems with names suggesting help’. It’s easy to think it’s not as bad here in the UK, but there are so many parallels, it’s an uncomfortable read. Definitely the unmissable book from this list, absolutely incredible in its approach to storytelling.
• February — The Persuaders by Anand Giridharadas. An inspiring read covering material from interviews with different changemakers who have mobilised others to fight for social change, build bridges across divided communities and work together to win things. This is the sense of hope and possibility we all need, with insights from well-known activists like Alicia Garza or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and less well-known individuals such as Anat Shenker-Osorio.
• March — How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa. Part memoir, part manifesto, this book is written by the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner. A reminder of the value of journalism to advance progress and sustain healthy democracies. Really readable, and an inspirational story!
• April — Another world is possible by Geoff Mulgan. If all the work on social imagination has passed you by, this is a good introduction to the possibilities that emerge when we think big. This is a reminder that we will probably cannot just ‘plan’ our way out of the economic and environmental situation that we find ourselves in.
• May — Behind Closed Doors by Polly Curtis. This book built on the in-depth reporting that Polly Curtis had done for Tortoise Media on family separation, shedding a light on the inner works of children’s social care. A particularly good read for people who do not have any first-hand experience of children’s services or child protection.
• June — The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee. This book is deeply rooted in the history and evolution of racism in America, and while it is less relevant to the UK context, there is a lot to learn from it about the ways in which people have come together to change things and the way that racism is bad for everyone, including white people. I came to this book via the podcast, which is a brilliant alternative if you do not want to read the whole book.
• July — The Climate book. This book has 84 different bite-size chapters that cover insight and action items, compiled by Greta Thunberg. It is a comprehensive read, covering different aspects of a really complex topic, as well as the need to focus on climate justice as the core of any approach to tackling climate change. As more extreme weather is expected over the summer, this is a good book to read and share with people around you.
• August — Ootlin: a memoir by Jenni Fagan. A nice follow-on read after Invisible Child (January) and Behind Closed Doors (May), this story of a child born into the care system in the UK. It comes out at the end of the month, and while it’s heartbreaking, it’s also one not to miss, because we cannot keep on turning away from the experiences of children in care.
• September — Tenants by Vicky Spratt. Anyone who has experience working in community and grassroots social change knows that housing issues are often at the heart of people’s most stressful life situations. This book highlights some of the history of how we have got to the point we are at in the housing system, and what could be done to make sure everyone has a good home.
• October — Inclusion on purpose by Ruchika Tulshyan. I have learned so much about inclusion as part of the work with Oxford Hub and partners to advance EDI in our sector. This book brings lots of really useful insights, so even if you think that you have already read a lot about inclusion, it’s worth reading this book (and of course take the time to put your learning into practice).
• November — Beyond sticky notes by Kelly Ann McKercher. Probably my favourite book that I read as part of the Innovation Unit Design Academy programme. It contains lots of practical approaches to put participatory methods into practice, and plenty of ideas to implement and try out. An essential book for anyone doing community co-design, and one that has influenced a lot of the Oxford Hub thinking in this area.
• December — Abolish the family by Sophie Lewis. This festive time of the year can be fraught with complex relationships and family dynamics. How about trying something completely different and contemplate the idea of abolishing the family instead? Sounds more radical than it is, nobody is trying to get rid of your gran, but this feminist text gives some alternatives to the way that we organise our world for better care and community.

All of the Oxford Hub team and network will miss Sara terribly, but we’re so excited for her next chapter, and to keep building on the momentum, vision, creativity, connections, and reading recommendations she’s left us with!