Emma Watson Discusses Embracing Her Hermione Side with Gloria Steinem

by · February 26, 2016

When Emma Watson announced on Twitter earlier this year that she was launching a new feminist book club, called Our Shared Shelf, here at MuggleNet, we were delighted. The first pick for the new book club was My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem.

This week, Emma met up with Steinem in London with how to: Academy to discuss the book and feminism, as well as body issues, accepting herself, and of course, our favorite witch, Hermione Granger.

During the course of the interview, Emma mentioned how she’d struggled to come to terms with her similarity to Hermione as she grew up.

I feel as though I spent a long time trying to pretend I was not like Hermione. And of course, I was rather like Hermione.

She also touched on body issues she had growing up in the public eye.

I used to hate that I had strong eyebrows. As a nine-year-old I desperately wanted to pluck them and make them two thin lines.

Steinem elaborated on the topic of body issues and the way that woman should accept the way they are and embrace differences.

Our bodies are instruments, not ornaments. We should celebrate our different shapes and sizes, our caesarean scars and all the other beautiful imperfections that make us who we are.

If you’re a member of Our Shared Shelf on Goodreads, then the full interview will be shortly available to watch online. You can join Our Shared Shelf on Goodreads and get involved in all the latest discussions and keep up to date with announcements as they happen.

Are you a member of the book club? Have you read My Life on the Road yet? Have you started the second book, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, yet? Let us know in the comments!