This year, the Miu Miu Literary Club has delved into the themes of female education and desire

On April 9 and 10, 2025, at the Circolo Filologico Milanese, Miu Miu hosted the second edition of the Literary Club 2025 - A Woman’s Education. Curated by Miuccia Prada, this two-day event was designed to explore themes of women’s education, desire, and adolescence through the works of two major international authors: French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir and Fumiko Enchi (pen name of Fumi Ueda), one of the most prominent writers of Japan’s Shōwa era.

Miu Miu Literary Club: Day One

The first day opened with The Power of Girlhood, an in-depth reflection on The Inseparables by Simone de Beauvoir. Written in 1954 but considered too intimate to be published during her lifetime, this short novel was released posthumously in 2020, reigniting interest in one of the greatest feminist thinkers of the twentieth century. In the work, de Beauvoir explores a young woman’s transition from childhood to adulthood, highlighting the crucial role of female friendship in the journey of self-determination. Actress and model Millie Brady introduced the discussion, which featured African-American author Lauren Elkin, novelist Geetanjali Shree, and writer Veronica Raimo. The panel was moderated by writer and curator Lou Stoppard.

Alternative Paths to Women’s Education According to Lou Stoppard

Asked how literature can shed light on women’s education, often viewed through a normative and patriarchal lens, Lou Stoppard expanded the conversation, reflecting on the importance of parallel and informal forms of learning: "A woman’s education is often defined by the institutional schooling system of her country or local context. However, if you talk to women and ask them about the most formative experiences in their lives, they are often not tied to traditional academic settings. Instead, they recall conversations with friends, relationships (romantic, platonic, or something in between), or meaningful reading experiences." She added: "The ability to build your identity through what you choose to read is something deeply special, especially in youth. This kind of personal and self-directed education is extraordinary." She concluded: "Literature offers alternative models and can be an escape from societal norms and pressures. Reading is an intimate act, unlike watching a film, it deeply engages and creates a unique connection between the reader and the story."

Veronica Raimo: Moving Beyond Labels

On the topic of formative female bonds, Veronica Raimo shared her perspective, advocating for a complete break from relational labels: "Friendship, in general, is formative. Relationships are formative. I would actually eliminate the division between romantic and platonic relationships. There’s a growing effort to expand romantic relationships - we talk about polyamory and open relationships - but friendship remains confined, set aside. Perhaps it would be better to think in terms of the people who have shaped and impacted our lives. Removing these divisions might help us avoid the constant need for labels, which I feel are rooted in an Anglo-Saxon world, one where people no longer meet organically but rather through apps, where you have to define the relationship."

Day Two

The second day began with About Love, Sex and Desire, a deep conversation about the novel The Waiting Years (Gli anni dell’attesa, 1957) by Fumiko Enchi: one of the first Japanese works to explicitly address female sexuality. The novel tells the story of Tomo, the wife of a high-ranking politician, who is tasked with finding a concubine for her husband - ultimately sacrificing her own desires and needs in favor of male authority. Introduced by model Cindy Bruna, the panel included writers Nicola Dinan and Naoise Dolan alongside American novelist Sarah Manguso. The conversation was moderated by artist and spoken word poet Kai Isaiah Jamal.

Between Desire and Education: Words from Kai Isaiah Jamal

Beyond education, one of the key themes of this widely attended edition of the Miu Miu Literary Club was desire, in its broadest sense. While Lou Stoppard expanded the concept of desire, detaching it from its sexual implications, Kai Isaiah Jamal added: "We often perceive desire in a one-dimensional way, associating it solely with sex and bodily interaction in a heteronormative context. In reality, desire is so much more: it’s the yearning for something more. Freedom, autonomy, or even just a pair of shoes. Society tries to box in desire, but real education lies in the freedom to desire in all its forms." Balance, in fact, isn’t always fair: "When we talk about women’s education, female desire is too often framed through the male gaze. That’s why panels like this, bringing together women from diverse identities and cultures, are so crucial: they amplify marginalized voices and broaden the understanding of what it really means to desire." So, who has the right to educate whom? "Historically, educational power has always rested in the hands of white men. Today, thanks to social media, anyone has the tools to tell and share their truth, with just a smartphone. Sure, there are risks, but the impossibility of censoring certain voices is key. Real change often comes from those who’ve been silenced the longest. The point is to make this change ongoing, not just momentary. Sometimes that also means stepping back, recognizing when it’s not our turn to speak, and passing the mic. It’s urgent, because when educational power remains in the wrong hands, the world suffers the consequences. Especially in today’s political climate, I believe more and more people are starting to ask the questions they once ignored. In ten years, maybe we’ll look back and see this as a turning point."