Who is Rebecca Solnit?

Rebecca Solnit is one of today’s most distinctive essayists, renowned for her ability to expose the hidden structures that shape our lives, whether in capitalism, climate, or culture. She reminds us that stories are not just reflections of the world, they are levers for changing it.

As she writes: “Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency.” For leaders, this is a powerful reminder: optimism without action is sentimentality, but hope, coupled with courage, becomes transformative.

Her influence is also felt in feminist thought. Her landmark essay Men Explain Things to Me not only gave rise to the term “mansplaining,” but crystallised a cultural shift in how we understand voice, authority, and gender dynamics.

Across more than twenty books spanning history, feminism, environment, and politics, Solnit has continually pushed us to see more clearly and act more boldly. Her work underlines a truth that matters deeply in business and beyond: systems only change when we can see them clearly, then choose to reject them, redesign them, or act to transform them. I highly recommend you add Rebecca to your reading list!