An Exeter PhD student has created a hard-hitting book parodying the Mr Men and Little Miss series to highlight the unique challenges faced by homeless women.
Little Miss Homeless, written and illustrated by 24-year-old Harriet Earle-Brown, explores issues of domestic violence, sexual abuse, hygiene and the dangers of being a woman living on the streets.
The book – which is not affiliated with the Roger Hargreaves classics – was originally produced as part of her studies at the University of Exeter but soon drew the attention of switched-on readers and activists.
Earle-Brown has now made the book available for free online and will soon publish hard copies for no profit.
The author drew on Office for National Statistics research to create the Little Miss Homeless story, studying real-life accounts of women’s homelessness and death rates for those forced to sleep rough.
Focusing on homeless women’s experiences as part of her PhD, Earle-Brown said she is particularly concerned by the issues more specific to them like periods when sleeping rough, sex work and the high rate at which homeless women get into relationships for safety on the streets.
