Rough | Rachel Thompson

Unflinching. Important, thought-provoking read.'Nataliya Deleva'An incredible investigation into a frighteningly common part of our sexual experience; determined to give ownership back to those who have had their agency stolen from them.'Dr Fern Riddell'Rough speaks to how many women often feel after sexual encounters - violated but unsure of exactly why, and whether our feelings are valid. This book is excellent and demonstrating just how valid those feelings are, and how the cultures of violence within sex that have been normalised intersect with wider systems of patriarchy, racism and misogyny.'Adele Walton, founder of Humanitarian HotgirlA bad sexual experience.A grey area.Not rape but...A violation - these are the terms we use to describe the experiences we don't have words for. The way we talk about topics such as sex, consent, assault aren't fit for purpose.Rough is a revolutionary non-fiction work exploring the narratives of sexual violence that we don't talk about. Through powerful testimony from 50 women and non-binary people, this book shines a light on the sexual violence that takes place in our bedrooms and beyond, sometimes at the hands of people we know, trust, or even love. Rough investigates violations such as 'stealthing,' non-consensual choking, and non-consensual rough sex acts that our culture is only starting to recognise as sexual violence.The book explores the ways in which systems of oppression manifest in our sexual culture - from racist microaggressions, to fatphobic acts of aggression, and ableist dehumanising behaviour. An intersectional, sex-positive, kink-positive work, the book also examines how white supremacy, transphobia, biphobia, homophobia, and misogyny are driving forces behind sexual violence.Rough is an urgent, timely call for change to the systems that oppress us all. It's time for a societal shift. As individuals with agency within our sexual culture we have the power to remodel our behaviour and this book shows us how.