I started Sex Siopa nearly 5 years ago for 2 reasons: 1) The sex shops here in Ireland couldn't provide the kind of comfortable, shame-free shopping experience I was looking for as a customer and 2) there wasn't a single shop that sold exclusively bodysafe toys and accessories. For more information about what I mean when I say "bodysafe," have a look at my Bodysafe Toys page. 

I've spent the last number of years giving talks across the country about the importance of buying toys that are safe for internal use, because sadly due to a lack of regulation within the industry, that is a conversation we need to have. But I am nowhere near the first person to be shouting about toy design and manufacturing from the rooftops. I got my inspiration from a handful of feminist shops in the States like Babeland, Smitten Kitten, and Good Vibrations whose hard work and bravery in what was a completely male-dominated industry paved the way for younger shops like mine.

Dr. Lynn Comella, Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality studies at the University of Nevada, has written a book called Vibrator Nation as a love letter to these trailblazing shops and a number of manufacturers. It details the history of feminist sex shops starting in the 1970s and is packed with stories and interviews from small business owners all the way up to the present. 

I've never been so excited for a non-fiction book to be released. This is the story of my industry, the story of people who I admire greatly and have been inspired by. If you would like to learn more about the sex toy industry and specifically why I do what I do, you're in luck! Vibrator Nation is on it's way to Ireland at the moment, and I'm currently taking pre-orders for €22. Once they arrive however, they'll go up to their regular price of €25. The books are estimated to arrive by the end of September, and I'll post them out as soon as they do. To get your pre-order, click here.