She Wrote Too

Why has Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein fascinated generations of readers (and theatre-goers, film-goers, comic book fans, Hallowe’en mask makers and more) for over 200 years? In this first episode of our Gothic season – and the first of a two-parter about Mary Shelley – Nicola and Caroline discuss just a few of the myriad questions posed by this work of genius. This is a public episode. If you would...

Nicola Todd-Morgan and Caroline Rance talk about Nicola's appearance on Good Morning Britain and her call for changes to the legislation surrounding sexual offences. They also discuss how the inspiring stories of women from history gave Nicola the courage to speak out. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shewrote...

Join us as we visit 18th Century Dublin via the memoirs of Peg Plunkett: courtesan, survivor, businesswoman and someone who knew what cards she had to play. In 18th-century Dublin, Peg Plunkett scandalised society, outwitted powerful men, survived poverty and violence, and then did something extraordinary, she wrote her own story. This is a remarkable memoir of a clever woman who, given very limit...

Advisory: there is mild swearing in this episode and brief discussion of sexual matters. Catherine Dickens was married to the novelist, Charles Dickens. We do not, as a rule, remember the woman who wrote What Shall We Have for Dinner? ( published in 1851). In this episode we discuss her book. It was not published it under her own name, but under her pseudonym Lady Maria Clutterbuck. It’s a really...

Born in 1884, Naomi Jacob, ‘writer, performer, trouser-wearer, truth-teller’ wrote this novel as part of her epic Gollantz family saga. This novel is the founding story: the prequel to an extraordinary tale spanning seven books, starting in the 18th Century and following through to the Second World War. It is full of love, deception, disappointment, drama and hope - following a group of determined...

In this episode of She Wrote Too, we discuss a book that doesn’t shout, doesn’t rant, and doesn’t ask politely either. In 1694, Mary Astell published a slim, elegant, and quietly radical text called A Serious Proposal to the Ladies. She proposes that women should be allowed to think. Not to charm. Not merely to endure. Not to be good company or good wives. Her suggestion was that they use their mi...

There are some writers who feel permanently modern - they just recognise unchanging aspects of the human psyche. I wonder if Muriel Spark is one of those. In this episode of She Wrote Too , Caroline Rance and I were delighted to be joined by writer Jenn Gale to talk about Spark’s deliciously subversive novel Loitering with Intent - a tale about writing, ambition, faith, power, and the dangerous th...

Some conversations stay with you long after they end and speaking with Hibo Wardere is one of them. Hibo is one of the UK’s most courageous and compelling campaigners against female genital mutilation (FGM). She is a teacher, author, and advocate whose voice has reshaped how schools, safeguarding teams, and medical professionals understand this form of violence. But to talk with her is to understa...

In this episode of She Wrote Too , we dive into one of the most extraordinary and strangely forgotten works of women’s travel writing: On Sledge and Horseback to Outcast Siberian Lepers by Kate Marsden. It’s a pretty special title for the true story of an incredible adventure! Caroline had read this book and told me about it - I had not read it but having done some cursory googling (also known as...

In this episode, Caroline Rance and I discuss this book - Still Glides the Stream by Flora Thompson - that both of us could barely believe that we had never read nor heard of before we stumbled across it in a second hand book stall. It really is a special piece of writing, a hybrid of fiction, memoir and ethnography documenting the tales of women and their role in the countryside community in the...

Our book is now available on Amazon and we will be launching it at the FiLiA Conference on 10 October 2025 in Brighton. In this episode, we share the Foreword written by Victoria Smith, author of Hags and Unkind. We also share some excerpts from the book about some of our favourite writers. Imagine a young reader discovering a world of female pioneers, storytellers, and changemakers and seeing the...

Lots of people first meet Jane Austen through Pride and Prejudice often at school, and often as their only encounter with her work. It's certainly her most dramatised novel. In this episode, Caroline and Nicola delve into something a little different: one of Austen’s earliest stories, Love and Freindship (spelled just as she wrote it!), penned when she was just fourteen, and Sanditon the novel she...

In this episode, we discuss Wide Sargasso Sea with writer Victoria Smith. Commonly referred to as the prequel to Jane Eyre, it does tell the story of Antoinette (Bertha in Jane Eyre) but works beautifully as a stand-alone read in its own right. Victoria Smith is the author of brilliant books Hags and Unkind and is one of the significant feminist voices of our time, so we were delighted to hear her...

In this episode, we consider Lois the Witch , a haunting novella by Elizabeth Gaskell set against the backdrop of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. With her characteristic emotional depth and historical sensitivity, Gaskell explores themes of fear, isolation, and the dangers of moral panic and in doing so offers a powerful critique of society’s treatment of women, both in 17th-century Massachusetts and...

Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon (1827-1891) is one of 19th-century Britain’s most influential feminist campaigners, involved in women’s suffrage, female higher education, the abolition of slavery and passing of the Married Women’s Property Acts. In this episode of She Wrote Too, historian Jane Robinson tells Caroline about her biography of this impressive - yet now little-known - woman, Trailblazer:...

Charlotte Brontë’s life was complex and dramatic. A survivor of unimaginable loss, she turned her back on the past to become not only an acclaimed writer but a figure of public fascination. There has not been a biography of Charlotte in over 10 years and in this interview, Graham Watson makes his very convincing argument as to why another one was needed. In her effort to make sense of it all, Bron...

In this episode of She Wrote Too , I talk with comedian and writer Andy Gleeks, who also brings his background as an English teacher to our conversation. This is our second episode on Emily Brontë’s extraordinary novel, if you haven’t already, do listen to our first discussion with best-selling gothic novelist Essie Fox, where we reviewed other fascinating aspects of the book. Few novels inspire s...

What do the Brontë family and the Methodist movement have in common? More than you might think. In our latest episode of She Wrote Too , we had the pleasure of speaking with genealogist Dr. Sarah Halton, who has been tracing the intricate and often surprising connections between the Brontës and Methodism. Diagrams are provided below! Most of us think of the Brontës as being firmly rooted in the An...

Caroline and Nicola explore Anne Brontë’s final novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall , where an enigmatic world unfolds—a narrative that boldly challenges Victorian conventions through its portrayal of a woman's struggle for independence. In their discussion, they delve into Anne’s life and her position within the Brontë family, examining how personal and familial conflicts shape the key themes of t...

Historical novelist Essie Fox joins Caroline and Nicola to talk about one of her favourite books - Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - and to introduce her own new novel, Dangerous , a Byronic tale of vampirism and mystery. Find out more about Essie at www.essiefox.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shewrote...

Exploring Black Beauty with Anne Brooke and Mari Durward-Akhurst: A Journey into Anna Sewell’s Legacy In our latest podcast episode, we delve into the enduring legacy of Black Beauty , Anna Sewell’s iconic novel that has touched hearts for generations. Joining us for this fascinating discussion are Anne Brooke, fabulous author, and Mari Durward-Akhurst, an inspirational Paralympian dressage athlet...

Caroline and Nicola wish all our listeners a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for your support during 2024. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shewrotetoo.substack.com

In the first episode of She Wrote Too, we considered Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. This novel is a feminist classic in which Laura Willowes creates a new kind of freedom for herself - as a witch. In this episode, Nicola speaks with Jade Loren, a modern day witch about what that means to her and her relationship with the natural world. Jade M Loren writes books about witchcraft that are...

Dr Sarah Halton is the guest on this episode. We have been so fortunate this month in having so many experts. Sarah is a genealogist and her research is excellent. Enjoy. Thank you Sarah. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shewrotetoo.substack.com

Caroline and Nicola went to see the Mousetrap in the West End. They discuss the plot and characters - without revealing whodunnit - respecting the best kept secret in Theatreland. The play opened in 1952, stopping only for Covid in 2020 for a period of 14 months. So, the actual 70th Anniversary celebrations were disrupted by this and consequently the ‘spirit’ of these have continued for some years...