International Women’s Day ‘I am not covetous, but as ambitious as ever any of my sex was

International Women’s Day

‘I am not covetous, but as ambitious as ever any of my sex was, is, or can be; which makes, that though I cannot be Henry the Fifth, or Charles the Second, yet I endeavour to be Margaret the First’.

                               ~ Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne

This week’s Turnbull Rare Books post marks International Women’s Day (8 March) by highlighting a selection of books written by women in the 17th and and early 18th century. Click the name links to read biographies of each author primarily through the Poetry Foundation website.

The authors and their works from the top are (in date order of publication) …

Lady Mary Wroth (1587–1653), poet

Urania.London: printed for John Marriott and John Grismand, 1621, Alexander Turnbull Library, qREng WROT Coun 1621.

Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1623–1673), poet, philosopher, playwright, scientist and fiction writer

The philosophical and physical opinions. London: printed for J. Martin and J. Allestrye, 1655, Alexander Turnbull Library, qREng NEWC Phil 1655.

Aphra Behn (1640–1689), playwright, propagandist poet, translator, spy

The rover. Or, the banish’t cavaliers. London: printed for John Amery, 1677, Alexander Turnbull Library, REng BEHN Rover 1677.

Anne Killigrew (1660–1685), poet and painter

Poems by Mrs Anne Killigrew. London: printed for Samuel Lowndes, 1686, Alexander Turnbull Library, REng KILL Poems 1686.

Lady Mary Chudleigh (1656–1710), poet

Poems on several occasions. Together with the Song of the three children paraphras’d. London: printed by D. L. for Bernard Lintott, 1709, Alexander Turnbull Library, REng CHUD Poems 1709.

Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1661–1720), poet

Miscellany poems, on several occasions. London: printed for J. B., 1713, Alexander Turnbull Library, REng FINCH Misc 1713 copy 2.

Susanna Centlivre (bap. 1669–1723), actress and playwright

A bold stroke for a wife. A comedy. London: printed for T. Lowndes, T. Caslon., W. Nicoll, and S. Bladon, 1783, Alexander Turnbull Library, REng CENT Bold 1783.