November Monthly Talk - Historical Women’s Literature

Helen says: “The rare books collection at the State Library of Victoria is a joy, but it was largely a male joy. No first edition Jane Austen, Bronte, Pankhurst, no Mary Wollstonecraft, no pioneering scientists.

The State Library of Victoria Women Writers Fund acquires works to address this historical gender bias, and seeks to inspire future generations by highlighting the intellectual and creative endeavours of women from the past. The Fund has added more than 100 works to the Library’s collection. Please come and share the stories of these extraordinary women and their books.”

Helen Sykes is a reader, editor, and self-described book nerd with a lifelong love of libraries. After graduating from Oxford, she worked briefly as a journalist and in publishing, and has sat on the boards of a number of not-for-profit allied health charities.