Celebrated in their time, forgotten in ours

Read by Kelly Burke, Janet Fullerlove, Ghizela Rowe(Unabridged: 10:47mins)

Featuring stories by Ellen Glasgow, Susan Glaspell, Clotilde Graves, Frances Watkins Harper, Eliza Haywood, Winifred Holtby & many more

Throughout the long centuries of human history is the want, and the need, to share information, to exchange ideas and for that knowledge and experience, for curiosity and learning, to be the basis of a civil society.

In literature the ambition is much narrower. In order to be known, to be popular, you had to be published. And for that people had to know you existed and your ideas worth reading. Obviously for most of humanity’s time people couldn’t read and texts couldn’t be published in any great number.

In the 15th Century Gutenberg’s printing press began the revolution to address the second and by the 19th century had gathered pace with startling speed and mass distribution. Education for the many was brought in to help people understand more of their world and, with new skills, how to have a better place within it. Now, if the powers that owned the presses and means of distribution agreed an audience would now be able to avail themselves of your ideas, your printed words.

Whilst male authors were the overwhelming majority of beneficiaries in having their work printed time was their constant enemy. Your work could be immensely talented but if it was not to lure money into the coffers by gaining an audience of readers then your career would be one of pleasing yourself and was soon forgotten.

But the printed word is rarely without someone, somewhere busying themselves through piles of papers and books rediscovering what a good story is, whatever its age.

In this volume we offer up a small selection of talents whose time has now come again.

01 - The Neglected Authors - The Women - Volume 2 - An Introduction

02 - The Difference by Ellen Glasgow

03 - The Preposterous Motive by Susan Glaspell

04 - A Spirit Elopement by Clotilde Graves

05 - Two Offers by Frances Watkins Harper

06 - Fantomina or, Love in a Maze by Eliza Haywood - Part 1

07 - Fantomina or, Love in a Maze by Eliza Haywood - Part 2

08 - The Voice of God by Winifred Holtby

09 - Talma Gordon by Pauline E Hopkins

10 - The Operation by Violet Hunt

11 - The General's Will by Vera Jelihovsky

12 - The Indian Orphan. A Tale by Letitia Elizabeth Landon

13 - Diary of a Plain Girl by Amy Levy

14 - Ben Pitcher's Elly by Mary E Mann

15 - Passed by Charlotte Mew

16 - A Redeeming Sacrifice by Lucy Maud Montgomery

17 - Luz by Elinor Mordaunt