Membership Program
Impolite Society: A Romance & Revolutionary Practice Guild
Increase your equity and social justice capacity in ways you didn’t even know you could.
Romance is not fluff, unserious, "chick lit".
There is no shame in making the time to read it.
It will not give you "unrealistic expectations” for your relationships.
In fact, romance challenges deeply held norms about joy, desire, and who has the "right" to love, and to be loved.
That is why it is treated with such disdain. Because at its core, romance -especially diverse, expansive romance - contains the power to completely disrupt the narratives that sustain oppression.
And that is the work we do in Impolite Society: by focusing our attention on one of the most intimate relationships marginalized people can have, we learn how to connect the dots between injustice in private, and injustice in public.
This is how we build our capacity to create the kinds of justice we want to see in the world.
Our Booklist
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![Book cover image for "The Princess Stakes", by Amalie Howard]()
May - June
Theme: The Politics of Pleasure
Understanding pleasure as a site of resistance against systems that thrive on depletion.
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![Book cover image for "Work For It", by Talia Hibbert]()
July - August
Theme: The Courage to be Seen
Practicing visibility, authenticity, and being witnessed… especially when it feels risky.
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![Book cover image for "Zom Romcom", by Olivia Dade]()
September - October
Theme: Emotional Resilience in a F*cked Up World
Developing the emotional stamina necessary for long-term, interdependent, justice work, because the problem is so much worse than you realized.
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![Book cover image for "A Spindle Splintered", by Alix E. Harrow]()
November - December
Theme: Refusing Old Stories
Exploring the narratives we inherit around love, justice, and identity, and rewriting them through more liberatory, inclusive lenses.
FAQ
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If you read copious amounts of British historical romance, you’ll find that “polite society” is weaponized in all sorts of ways to keep the main characters from living life on their own terms. This usually means seeking some sort of economic, familial, romantic, and / or bodily independence.
“Impolite Society” is, therefore, a nod to the fact that the romance we read is focused on challenging norms, transgressing taboos, and just generally being unapologetic about any of the things society - historical or contemporary - says you’re “supposed” to be sorry for.
This includes, but is not limited to: being Black; being queer; being poor; being foreign; being female; being “too sensitive”; and, of course, reading romance at all.
“Impolite Society” is about learning, vicariously through the characters’ journeys, how to reject the shame and guilt that dominating, oppressive, imperialist, and unjust society thrives on, so that we can find our way to creating a better, more inclusive, humane, and just world.
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For BI & POC people, people who are 2SLGBTQIA+, people who are neurodivergent, and basically anyone who doesn’t belong to one or more privileged identity groups, the vast majority of romance can be challenging to read.
At best, it doesn’t reflect our lived realities and, at worst, it reinscribes white cultural supremacy, especially in its most insidious forms.
In Impolite Society flip that script.
We have a carefully curated list of romances that centre the stories of Black and other marginalized people, thereby mixing passion with politics, and love with liberation.
We combine these stories with a list of revolutionary themes to help enhance our social justice practice, because the personal has always been political.
And the better we understand that, the greater our impact will be.
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It can be! You don’t have to be part of an equity-owed group to join. The vast majority of the novels selected for the Society centre melanated and marginalized characters, but their stories - their journeys of self-discovery, resistance, and transformation - are valuable for everyone.
That being said, all members are expected to have an open mind, an open heart, a strong belief that equity and social justice are good things for everyone, and a willingness to engage with stories that may challenge their own lived experiences, biases, and assumptions about how the world works.
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Membership is offered on a monthly basis, and gives you access to Fictive Kin Equity Lab’s private Member Site, where all of the program content for Impolite Society is hosted. We focus on one book every two months; this work is supported by:
on-demand video learning guides for each book; and
monthly facilitated discussions
You’ll be able to access any other Society programming, such as movie nights and watch parties.
When you purchase a membership pricing plan, you'll be asked to create an account. From your account, you'll be able to access everything in the Member Site.
You’ll also be able to manage your personal information, as well as your subscription.
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Membership in the Society is currently offered at $39 CAD / month. New members can try their first month for free!
After that, you may pause or cancel your membership at any time.
(But we really hope you don’t!)
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No, you do not!
We strongly recommend getting all books from your local library, or your favourite independent bookstore.
If you do wish to purchase your own copy, however, our fine friends at Queen Books will give all Society members 10% off on select titles (aka, the ones that aren’t subject to tariffs from the U.S. 😒).
ThriftBooks (no affiliation) and Abe Books (no affiliation) are also good options for finding books at affordable prices.
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Easy! Once you’ve joined the Society, a new “Log In” button will appear near the top right corner of the Fictive Kin Equity Lab website.
Just click on that and you’ll be all set.
Join Impolite Society
This membership level gives you access to all Impolite Society content and programming.
Founding Member Testimonials
By the way…
You should take our “Romance & Revolution” Quiz!
This archetypes quiz will help you find out what your specific revolutionary style is, so that you can (quietly) change the world, your way.
You'll also get a nifty romance recommendation, too!
Note: You will be required to enter your email address at the end of the quiz. This will allow you to receive your quiz results, and also add you to "Wonderfolk", the email marketing list for Fictive Kin Equity Lab. If you do not wish to remain on the list, you may unsubscribe at any time.