Rebel Grrrls : The Real Story of Women and Punk from the 1970s to Today

The story of women and punk told through the narratives of ordinary women from the streets of London in the 1970s to the beaches of California in the 2000s, providing details and anecdotes to bring to life the socio-political backdrop.

With chapters covering all major punk movements, including the 1970s British punk explosion, 1980s American Hardcore, 1990s global pop punk, right up until the modern-day resurgence of musical activism around a variety of societal issues.The story told by the women themselves, using first-hand interviews with the ordinary women and girls who compromise the millions of punk fans from the 1970s to the present day.

“How punk engaged with the fight for women’s rights and how it can achieve liberation for women. Punk was different and new from anything else. In a lot of ways, I was drawn to the scene because of the politics - feminism, working class solidarity, questioning everything, challenging authority. All these issues were important.” - Camilla

For women like Camilla - who spent her teenage years in 1970s immersed in the local punk scene - punk was a thrilling and cataclysmic event that provided a new look, a new attitude and a new community. It seemed like the start of a social and cultural revolution, where old ideas and norms were swept away and new terms negotiated, especially for women.

In a society where sex sells, these rebellious kids weren’t buying the superficial and tawdry anymore - they were in search of the meaningful and the authentic.