Emma Watson Hides Feminist Books In London Subway

More and more celebrities are linking innovation and activism. Emma Watson took to the London Underground this week to hide several feminist books.

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Watson has been secretly placing a hundred copies of Maya Angelou’s book Mom & Me & Mom around the London busiest subway stations. “I’ve been hiding copies of Mom & Me & Mom for Books on the Underground on the tube today!” Watson captioned on Instagram. “See if you can find one tomorrow!”

Watson, a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador, heads up an open feminist book club called “My Shared Shelf”—and the Angelou autobiography is November’s read. Some London subway commuters have already found the books, and they took to social media to share their excitement.

Watson partnered with Books on the Underground, an association that regularly drops free books in random spots around London’s tube network. The project started in 2012, encouraging Londoners to leave books for others for the simple reason of sharing. According to the program’s website, people give away more than 150 books every week.

In a video poster on her Instagram, the actress is seen depositing copies throughout stations and in train cars. For those who wish to snag a free autobiography they can always take part of the action by picking up a copy and joining the book club conversation online.

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“Vivian Baxter [Angelou’s mother] cuts a fiercely unapologetic figure, imperfect but admirable, and we discover not just how she had a hand in Angelou’s evolution as a black woman but also in her feminist perspective, her independence and self-awareness, all of which contributed to her unique way of looking at the world and the way she expressed herself on the page,” Watson explained on Our Shared Shelf’s site, calling the book a “favorite.”

“As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on,” she added. “There is so much amazing stuff out there! Funny, inspiring, sad, thought-provoking, empowering! I’ve been discovering so much that, at times, I’ve felt like my head was about to explode… I decided to start a Feminist book club, as I want to share what I’m learning and hear your thoughts too. The plan is to select and read a book every month, then discuss the work during the month’s last week (to give everyone time to read it!). I will post some questions/quotes to get things started, but I would love for this to grow into an open discussion with and between you all.”

The committed star has emerged as a prominent activist for gender equality over the past few years. The actress also serves as the face of the UN Women’s initiative HeForShe, which launched in 2014 with the goal of engaging men in the fight for women’s equality around the world.

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