Why do women in their forties and beyond seem to generate so much hatred and disdain from society as a whole?

Recently, with the rise of identity politics, women of this age group have been portrayed in discussions and literature as embodiments of prejudice, privilege, and self-absorption — to be sidelined, pitied, or vilified as “Karens”.

In Hags, Victoria Smith looks into the causes of this prejudice. Each section focuses on a different topic — appearances, care work, violence, politics, etc. — analyzing them alongside the experiences and beliefs of middle-aged women. Smith connects present-day perceptions to historical contexts, offering insights into why such deep-seated biases persist today.

Praise for Hags…

“A brilliantly witty, engaging and insightful book; a righteous polemic which examines and questions why so much hatred is directed towards middle-aged women – and, crucially, what this means for women today . . . a punchy, thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable read.” –Eleanor Fleming, Scotsman

“Hags is rich and complex and witty and cleverer than I am. (You’d never get a male reviewer saying that.) I hope it won’t be read only in an echo chamber, by the women who are, as Smith was once called to her delight, ‘a batshit Mumsnet thread made flesh’. I hope it will also be read by young women who think me and the author terrible Terfs and bigots for believing in single-sex spaces; by young anyones; by the middle-aged and the elderly; by any man born of a mother; and by all those who agree with Smith when she writes: ‘I am not frightened of change. I am frightened of things staying the same.” –Rose George, Spectator