Reading time: 2 minutes
On This Day She: Putting Women Back into History, One Day at a Time, by Jo Bell, Tania Hershman, and Ailsa Holland
The tried and tested ‘On This Day in History’ format has elevated the stories of many people and their impact on the wider world. However, of those considered noteworthy by the Establishment, just a fraction are women. But this is not the whole story – not by half.
Our past is full of influential women, many of whom have been unfairly confined to the margins of history. Politicians, troublemakers, explorers, artists, writers, scientists and even the odd murderer; these women have shaped society around the globe.
From Beyoncé to Doria Shafik, Queen Elizabeth I to Lillian Bilocca, On This Day She sets out to redress this imbalance and give voice to both those already deemed female icons, alongside others whom the history books have failed to include: the good, the bad and everything in between – this is a record of human existence at its most authentic.
“In these challenging and splintered times – the dismantling of many of the rights and gains we’d thought were secure, the eroding of decency in public life, the assault on principles of equality – what better book to bring people together than one that celebrates the extraordinary achievements of women of the past, as a reminder of what is possible in the present? On This Day She … began life as a social media campaign, started by Bell, Hershman and Holland, after Holland had been given a calendar of historical events and realised that women were barely mentioned. This is a joyous and celebratory tribute to all those who battled to be heard, who fought for their achievements to be recognised and honoured, who simply kept going.”
Kate Mosse (Author), printed in The Guardian
“This is a book which will probably arouse many different emotional reactions in the reader: fascination, inspiration, astonishment, disgust, anger, depression… you name the life situation the reader is in, and that will determine his or her response to On This Day She by Jo Bell, Tania Hershman and Ailsa Holland.“
SC Skillman
“This thoroughly enjoyable, slightly addictive almanac celebrates a different woman for every day of the year…. The brief but insightful biographical essays are written from a witty feminist viewpoint, and are quick to point out instances where women’s achievements have been ignored, dismissed, or misappropriated…. These individual profiles are just the right length to be read aloud in classrooms or shared at other events. This accessible reference will come in handy for March—Women’s History Month—and every other day of the year.”
Booklist
“The timing of the publication of this book by Tania Hershman, Ailsa Holland and Jo Bell, could not have been more perfect. Awareness of social invisibility must surely be on the rise. We can’t help but see and feel the challenges faced by so many people during the pandemic. For too long we have overlooked the contribution that some people, or groups of people make to our society and the largest and most notable of these invisible groups must be the influence of women in our history.“
Jayson Winter
On This Day She: Putting Women Back Into History, One Day At A Time – Book
By Tania Hershman, Ailsa Holland, and Jo Bell The tried and tested ‘On This Day in History’ format has elevated the stories of many people and their impact on the wider world. However, of those considered noteworthy by the Establishment, just a fraction are women. But this is not the whole story – not by…
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