Meet the CB team: Sophie Nankivell

Meet the Clitbait Team: an interview with Sophie Nankivell, our Poetry Editor…

Name and role:

Sophie Nankivell, Poetry Editor

Fun fact:

I moved to Edinburgh from Australia to pursue my English Literature degree (& in order to soak up those good, good Scottish Poetry vibes). 

What does intersectional feminism mean to you?

Intersectionality is inclusivity. As a society, we cannot afford to perpetuate an exclusive, cis-gendered, hetero and white version of feminism which actively prohibits people, usually the ones who need it the most, from feminism. Intersectionality means recognising ones’ privileges and actively creating a space for those who have been disenfranchised and disempowered. 

What is your favourite thing about Clitbait?

ClitBait has provided a new depth and element to my existence in Scotland. I have met so many wonderful people and been able to learn so much about issues that I care about. I love that, by being a virtual sisterhood, ClitBait creates a really accessible platform for the discussion and expression of the intersectional feminist ideals I value. 

What inspires you?

My grandmother, my mother and my sister. These three women are my holy trinity. My grandmother was an immigrant from Ukraine, who moved to Australia in a time of dominant racist and sexist ways of thinking and managed to undertake an incredible education and career, completely because of her own brilliance and intelligence. She truly was a matriarch. My mother, a first-generation woman in Sydney, is fiercely intelligent, kind-hearted, generous of spirit and a source of power in and of herself. She taught me how to take control of my identity and how to redefine what ‘femininity’ means, to shape it into what I wanted it to mean to myself. My sister is equally kind, always balance and considered, quietly confident and outstandingly bright. Never the loudest voice in the room, always the most reasonable. She teaches me the importance of allowing others to hold space, and to respect the “otherness of others”. 

What things do you do outside Clitbait that you are proud of?

I love the mixed reactions I get when I tell people that my three “passions” are writing, feminism and surf society. It may seem slightly paradoxical to be on the committee for the surf soc, as it historically has been a largely “boy’s club” culture of toxic masculinity, across the globe. Fortunately, the surf soc at Edinburgh is incredibly inclusive, exciting, and serves as my connection to the wonderful nature that Scotland can provide. As a writer, I take so much joy in living here and knowing all the wonderful people I have met through uni, so I enjoy writing about these experiences. 

A guilty feminist confession?

No such thing! I am a feminist AND I surf. I am a feminist AND I love romcoms. I am a feminist AND I love makeup. I am a feminist AND sometimes I think I want to be a stay at home mum. I am a feminist AND other days I want to be a CEO. I am a feminist AND I am queer. I am a feminist AND I sometimes fancy boys. I am a feminist AND I sometimes fancy girls. I am a feminist. 

Feminism is about accessibility, inclusivity and empowerment for all to enjoy what fulfils them.  

A personal feminist triumphs?

The best “feminist triumphs” are when you engage in interesting, educated and thoughtful discussion with people who disagree with feminism without actually knowing the principles of feminism (political, social & economic equality for all). When they realise, after healthy dialogue, they actually are feminists! That’s the best. 

Sophie Nankivell, Poetry Editor