About this Event
Join us with Annabelle Hirsch talking about her remarkable book A History of Women in 101 Objects: A Walk Through Female History. A vital and beautiful collection that tells a new story of female history through a hundred and one objects, some extraordinary and others everyday.
The way we remember the past today remains dishearteningly patriarchal: a place where women have always been oppressed by men, from ancient times to the present day.
A History of Women in 101 Objects tells a new story of female history, revealing the evolution of the role women have played in society through the quiet power of their everyday items. Much of what we’ve read about history focuses on the men in power: women’s stories are too often hidden or considered unremarkable. But in this collection, Annabelle Hirsch curates a compendium of women and their things, uncovering the thoughts and feelings at the heart of women’s daily lives, to offer an intimate and lively alternative history.
The objects date from prehistory to today and are assembled chronologically to show the evolution of how women were perceived by others, how they perceived themselves, how they fought for freedom. For example, what do handprints on early cave paintings tell us about the role of women in hunting? What does a mobile phone have to do with femicides? Or Kim Kardashian’s diamond ring with Elena Ferrante?
Wide-ranging, subversive, witty and superbly researched, this is a book that upends all our assumptions about, and presentations of, the past.
Translated by Eleanor Updegraff.
‘Such a satisfying and educational insight into the minds and activities of our united ancestors and a reminder, lest we forget, that women are and have always been, whether quietly or vociferously, on the periphery or centre stage, the engine, the glue, the inspiration behind it all’ GILLIAN ANDERSON
‘I adored this book! Our history and our power are not just ideas, but play out in the ways we interact with the physical world. Hirsch's intimate observational gifts turn that world into a rousing, living record of all that we have wrestled with’ OLIVIA COLMAN
‘I loved every chapter of this compelling, enlightening and inspiring book. Annabelle Hirsch writes with such warmth, humour and generosity. This book illuminates our past so we can envision a bolder and brighter present’ SALENA GODDEN
‘Whimsical, fun and witty. Annabelle Hirsch’s book is a like a treasure hunt through history, culture, politics, fashion and art – from cave paintings and bikinis to menstruation cups and Madame Pompadour’s sealing stamp’ ANDREA WULF
About the author:
Annabelle Hirsch was born in 1986, has German and French roots. She studied art history, dramatics and philosophy in Munich and Paris, and worked as a freelance journalist for FAS, FAZ, ZeitOnline and several other magazines. She writes short stories and translates French literature. She lives in Paris, Rome, and Berlin.
Eleanor Updegraff was born in London and studied English Literature, German and Russian at Durham University. She is a literary translator and author, ghostwriter and editor, and reviews books for various publications online and in print. She has lived in Vienna since 2015
Doors will open at 6.30pm .
Tickets £7
Includes a complimentary glass of wine/soft drink and 15% discount on any books purchased on the evening
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Battersea Bookshop Battersea Power Station, Ground Floor Turbine Hall B, London, United Kingdom
GBP 7.00