Challenging persistent rape myths: an interview with Joanna Bourke

Abstract Joanna Bourke is a prize-winning social and cultural historian, a Fellow of the British Academy, and a public intellectual. Her books, which have been translated into multiple languages, have explored the history of gender, working-class culture, emotions, war, and the relationships between animals and humans. Her most recent books are Birkbeck: 200 Years of Radical Learning for Working People (Oxford University Press, 2022) and Disgrace: Global Reflections on Sexual Violence (Reaktion Books, 2022). The latter was written as part of her Wellcome Trust-funded project SHaME (Sexual Harms and Medical Encounters), of which she is the Principal Investigator. Her book Five Evil Women will be published by Reaktion Books in January 2026. Philosopher of education Rowena Azada-Palacios spoke to Joanna Bourke about how historical approaches can help us understand and find solutions to present-day issues of sexual violence.