Join us for the unfiltered story of women in the punk scene celebrating the highs, confronting the lows, and proving the power of community

We're delighted to announce our first three contributors to our Women in Punk theme for #Louder2026.

ATYPICAL GRRRLS with Molly Tie, Penny Kiley and Helen McCookerybook

MOLLY TIE - Rebel Grrrls: The Real Story of Women and Punk

Brought to us by our friends and partners at Omnibus Press, Rebel Grrrls is the unfiltered story of women in the punk scene— celebrating the highs, confronting the lows, and proving the power of community.

From the gritty streets of 1970s London to the sun-soaked beaches of 2000s California, Rebel Grrrls: The Real Story of Women and Punk is a raw and exhilarating exploration of rebellion and identity through the eyes of its fans. This book goes beyond the musicians, spotlighting the women who defied small-town limitations, challenged family expectations, and shaped the scene from the inside out.

Molly Tie examines what the movement has meant to millions of fans, setting their experiences within a wider cultural and political landscape. What is it like to be a woman at a gig? Which bands and songs truly reflect the female experience in a male-dominated space? And how does our connection to alternative music change when powerful figures face allegations of abuse?

Spanning every era—from the British explosion and American hardcore to riot grrrl, pop punk, emo, ska, and today’s activist revival - Tie reveals how women in the movement have fought to be heard, proving that, at its best, punk is about refusing to stay silent.

Copies of Molly's book will be available to purchase at the Festival and there'll be a dedicated book signing at the end of this event.

About the Author:

MOLLY TIE is a music journalist with over 15 years of feminist campaigning and public speaking under her belt. Tie has written extensively on punk and women’s role in music for publications like Vive Le Rock, Loud Women and her own site Punk Rock Philosophy. Her musical herstory series for Loud Women gained acclaim. As UK Editor of Punktuation! from 2022 to 2024, she shaped the discourse around the movement’s legacy.

Beyond music, Tie has worked in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector, specialising in domestic abuse, sexual violence, and child protection training.

PENNY KILEY: Atypical Girl

It’s 1977, and punk rock has just hit Liverpool. The legendary Eric's club is home to the city's rebels, posers and misfits. It’s a place of attitude, adventure and new possibilities, and it changes lives. Some become pop stars; Penny Kiley becomes a music journalist.

The story traces Penny's relationship with the music scene from the turbulent political 1980s into the changing culture of the 21st century. Throughout these years, she never stops being a misfit, and the question remains: how do you navigate normal life when punk is dead and you don't know you're autistic?

Atypical Girl begins as a coming-of-age story and ends as a midlife reinvention. What unites them is a search for identity and the role that music plays in all our lives.

Copies of Penny's book will be available to purchase at the Festival and there'll be a dedicated book signing at the end of this event.

About the Author:

Born in Kent, PENNY KILEY later studied at Liverpool University, where she became immersed in the vibrant late-’70s music and cultural scene. A writer for Melody Maker, Smash Hits and the Liverpool Echo, she enjoyed a successful career at the heart of music journalism. Today, she is based in Oxfordshire, working as a digital content editor, often for non profits.

HELEN McCOOKERYBOOK (AKA Helen Reddington) is a musician and author. Her musical life started in Brighton punk band Joby and the Hooligans in 1977. Via her subsequent bands The Chefs and Helen and the Horns, she became a music lecturer, publishing two books ‘The Lost Women of Rock Music: female musicians of the punk era’ (2012) and ‘She’s at the Controls: sound engineering, production and gender ventriloquism in the 21st century’ (2021, both published by Equinox).

She has now returned to musical life, releasing her album ‘Showtunes from the Shadows’ on the label Tiny Global in 2025. www.mccookerybook.com (http://www.mccookerybook.com)www.mccookerybook.com (http://www.mccookerybook.com)

Copies of Helen's books will be available to purchase at the Festival and there'll be a dedicated book signing at the end of this event.

Description supplied by the event organiser.