Big Beautiful Female Theory


big beautiful female theory is a 2022 graphic memoir by Eloise Grills. Grills has described the book as an "illustrated collection of essays, and they’re all memoir in some way, about existing in a fat body and what that means". The book was shortlisted for the 2023 Stella Prize.

Reception

big beautiful female theory received generally positive reviews. A review in Readings Monthly called the work a "boisterous examination of beauty standards, sexuality, misogyny, consumerism and the cruel vicissitudes of modern life". Reviewing the book in Overland, Jenny Hedley described it as an "antidote to diet culture, internalised misogyny and body dysmorphia" and "a joyride for people who’ve felt like aliens in their own bodies". A review in Meanjin described the book as "ecstatic, exhaustive self-expression, drenched in watercolour and hectic sincerity". In a piece in The Conversation, Penni Russon wrote that the book had some fragmentation in its structure and that it would have benefited from a more experienced comics publisher, but ultimately praised its message.

Awards

YearAwardCategoryResult
2023Stella Prize
2023Indie Book AwardsBook of the YearIllustrated Non-Fiction