Author

Janet W. Hardy

United States · b. 1953

Janet W. Hardy is an American BDSM educator, author, editor, and publisher whose work has played a central role in making consensual BDSM education accessible to a broad audience. Beginning her publishing career under the pen name Catherine A. Liszt, Hardy became widely recognised through her collaboration with Dossie Easton on The New Bottoming Book and The New Topping Book, two of the most influential educational works in contemporary BDSM literature. Throughout her career, Hardy has promoted an approach to BDSM grounded in informed consent, communication, negotiation, personal responsibility, and sex-positive values. Rather than presenting dominance and submission as rigid systems, her writing consistently encourages readers to develop self-awareness, respect for diversity, and the practical skills necessary to build healthy consensual relationships. Beyond her work as an author, Hardy has contributed extensively to the BDSM community as a lecturer, editor, and co-founder of Greenery Press, one of the most influential publishers dedicated to BDSM education. Her publications helped bring community knowledge into mainstream educational literature while preserving an inclusive and non-judgemental perspective that has influenced several generations of practitioners.