Combining your feminism with your love of pretty much anything else usually results in a wicked combination. Make a tattoo out of it, and you've got whole ink communities drooling at their screens. Because I love books, a list of feminist tattoos for book lovers seemed like just the thing to put together.
A short list like this won't come close to covering all the bookish, feminist tattoo possibilities, but it might just give you a little inspiration. That can be hard to come by in our visuals-heavy society. Ink enthusiasts know that originals make the best pieces, but it can be difficult to determine where your ideas end and Pinterest begins after you've been looking at page after page of tattoo inspiration.
So, if you see an idea here that you love, don't copy it outright. That's annoying, and it's kind of an insult to your artist to ask them to knock-off someone else's design. That being said, please feel free to click through the embeds and use the links at the bottom of this page to find out where the people who so kindly shared their tats with us got their ink, if you're interested in getting something similar.
Without further ado, here are some great feminist tattoos for book lovers.
The Night Circus
It's always nice to see book nerds sport tattoos that are only really identifiable to those who have read the inspiring title. Tattoos based on Erin Morgenstern's NaNoWriMo novel, The Night Circus , definitely fall into that category. Readers know Celia is a badass, and her competitive relationship with Marco gives us all #relationshipgoals.
The Paper Bag Princess
A princess who saves herself from a dragon and snubs a useless prince? What's not to love about that picture book? A cute Paper Bag Princess tattoo will make any feminist book nerd's ink complete.
Harriet the Spy
This tattoo fan isn't just repping Harriet the Spy on her body; she's got her well-loved copy of the book in-hand to show just how much she appreciates Louise Fitzhugh's feminist heroine.
"Possibility"
Take a line from an Emily Dickinson poem, add a stylized book, and you're good to go with a simple, yet bold, little tattoo. Keep this quote close to help you remember your potential.
Any Supreme Court Ruling
I know Supreme Court rulings don't scream "literary," but hear me out. It's not uncommon for certain legal documents to be read in literature classes, and the SCOTUS has done some pretty cool stuff, like making abortions legal and giving individuals the right to marry. Rather than picking a line from a favorite case, this tattoo fan decided to wear these four words, which end every Supreme Court ruling.
The Bell Jar
Hey, look. It's Lisa Simpson, everyone's favorite child feminist, reading a copy of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, surrounded by a Play-Doh-purple heart. Seriously, you can't not adore this.
Dune
If you know about the Bene Gesserit and what they can do with a gom jabbar, you're drooling over this tattoo as much as I am. This all-female society of assassin-spy-witches is not a force to be trifled with, and neither are you.
Still I Rise
From Maya Angelou comes this fantastic quote. If you're going to sport it, that beaming attitude is not optional.
Jane Eyre
An elegant title like Jane Eyre might not be the first you'd expect to see backing up an abstract style, but this artist and client made it work. Wearing this quote will remind you not to let anything, or anyone, hold you back.
The Tempest
If the patriarchy's got you down, feminism is always there to give you the support you need to keep from second-guessing your decisions. So, when you need a reminder that you're on the right track, this line from The Tempest is a great go-to. The rapier and sunburst are optional, but they make this tattoo all the better.
The Handmaid's Tale
In The Handmaid's Tale , narrator Offred finds this pseudo-Latin phrase on her bedroom wall. It means "Don't let the bastards grind you down," and it's one of the most famous quotes from Margaret Atwood's novel.
Images: Welcome to Paradise/Tumblr
