The London Womens Handbook

The London Women’s Handbook (1986)
by Greater London Council Women’s Committee
Sold by Crappy Old Books

Part radical guidebook, part survival manual, The London Women’s Handbook (1986) is a snapshot of feminist resourcefulness at the close of Thatcher’s Britain. Compiled by the now-defunct Greater London Council Women’s Committee, this unapologetically practical handbook is packed with listings, advice, and political insight aimed at empowering women navigating the capital’s complex landscape—from housing and childcare to employment rights, health services, and self-defence.

It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t try to be. This is a grassroots document with grit: photocopied graphics, dense type, and the fierce urgency of its time. Whether you’re a scholar of feminist history, a zine enthusiast, or just someone who appreciates the charm of well-meaning bureaucracy in pamphlet form, this relic from the 80s feminist movement still speaks truth (and a bit of rage) to power.

Crappy Old Books is proud to offer this lovingly worn, bureaucratically brilliant artefact of London’s activist past. Musty pages? Absolutely. But revolutionary spirit? Undimmed.

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