Why She Wrote

Product Description

Why did Jane Austen struggle to write for five years before her first novel was ever published? How did Edith Maude Eaton's writing change the narrative around Chinese immigrant workers in North America? Why did the Bronte sisters choose to write under male pennames, and Anne Lister write her personal diaries in code? Dive into the fascinating, unexpected, and inspiring stories behind some of the greatest women writers in the English language in this compelling graphic anthology that asks a simple question: in a time when being a woman writer often meant being undervalued, overlooked, or pigeonholed, why did she write?

This graphic anthology brings together eighteen women writers from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, including familiar favourites like Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Mary Shelley, and the Bronte sisters, alongside authors who have undeservedly fallen into obscurity: Frances Burney, Edith Maude Eaton, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Ann Radcliffe, and more. They were not only novelists, journalists, poets, and speechwriters; they were also activists, breadwinners, and pioneers of their genres. Whether they wrote about societal inequities or personal intimacy, for social good, financial gain, or just for themselves, these women put pen to paper and made their mark on history, and opened the door for others to do the same.

Why She Wrote highlights a significant moment from each writer's life and retells it through engaging and accessible comics, supplemented by biographical text, bibliographies, and fun facts, which bring the full scope of these womens' history, hardships, and influence – on the written word and each other – to life. For aspiring writers, literary enthusiasts, and the Janeites who have everything, this new collection goes beyond the familiar canon to tell who she was, what she wanted, and why she wrote.Why did Jane Austen struggle to write for five years before her first novel was ever published? How did Edith Maude Eaton's writing change the narrative around Chinese immigrant workers in North America? Why did the Bronte sisters choose to write under male pennames, and Anne Lister write her personal diaries in code? Dive into the fascinating, unexpected, and inspiring stories behind some of the greatest women writers in the English language in this compelling graphic anthology that asks a simple question: in a time when being a woman writer often meant being undervalued, overlooked, or pigeonholed, why did she write?

This graphic anthology brings together eighteen women writers from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, including familiar favourites like Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Mary Shelley, and the Bronte sisters, alongside authors who have undeservedly fallen into obscurity: Frances Burney, Edith Maude Eaton, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Ann Radcliffe, and more. They were not only novelists, journalists, poets, and speechwriters; they were also activists, breadwinners, and pioneers of their genres. Whether they wrote about societal inequities or personal intimacy, for social good, financial gain, or just for themselves, these women put pen to paper and made their mark on history, and opened the door for others to do the same.

Why She Wrote highlights a significant moment from each writer's life and retells it through engaging and accessible comics, supplemented by biographical text, bibliographies, and fun facts, which bring the full scope of these womens' history, hardships, and influence – on the written word and each other – to life. For aspiring writers, literary enthusiasts, and the Janeites who have everything, this new collection goes beyond the familiar canon to tell who she was, what she wanted, and why she wrote.
This graphic anthology tells the fascinating and surprising stories of eighteen classic women writers, including Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Louisa May Alcott, Sui Sin Far, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Anne Lister, and more.