The Shrinking Goddess : Power, Myth and the Female Body

Author: Schipper, Mineke

Social & cultural history

Published on 19 February 2026 by Saqi Books (The Westbourne Press) in the United Kingdom.

Paperback / softback | 336 pages, 100 b&w illustrations; 100 Illustrations
216 x 138 | 300g

For centuries, wild and strange stories have been told about the female body. Some empowering, many absurd, these myths have not only endured but continue to shape perceptions of women today.

The Shrinking Goddess explores this legacy, gathering global tales about the female form and revealing how and why generations of men have sought to interpret, control and ‘tame’ women. Mineke Schipper investigates the disappearance of the original creation figure, Mother Earth, from mainstream culture, and how women’s bodies have been imagined ever since: from the demon daughter of New Mexico with a toothed vagina, to the Japanese supermarkets and European festivals offering ‘breast puddings’ as delicacies.

Drawing on an extraordinary archive of art, literature and folklore, Schipper reclaims the female body as a place of power, creativity and possibility.