Working Class Women Research Guide This research guide explores working class women and their involvement in writing and publishing in the nineteenth and twentieth century in Britain predominantly sourced from our Working Press Archive. The archive features correspondence, newsletters and mailing lists concerning working class women writers between 1986 and 1996 collected, created by or sent to Stefan Szczelkun. Specific writers featured within the archives include; Sarah Richardson, Marylyn Cherry, Sammy Palfrey, Gilda O’neil and Gail Chester. Gail Chester is still involved in the women’s movement today and has strong links to the Feminist Library in . Themes discussed within the work include; , Greenham Common’s Peace Camp, class identity, the miner’s strike, British female writers, class, gender and women in publishing. Contact [email protected] for further information, or to access the records Title: Towards Recognition of Working- Class Women Writers Pamphlet published by working press written by Marylyn Cherry. Discusses themes of class, feminism and Marxism in relation to the writers and their writings. Looks at the genres used by working class women writers specifically; autobiography, socialist fiction and popular fiction. Also includes short biographies of British female writers; Ethel Carnie, Catherine Cookson, Jessie Kesson, , Margaret Penn, Kate Roberts, Floral Roberts and Ellen Wilkinson. Ref: Working Press Books CHE

Title: Writing on the Line, Working Class Women Writers in the 20th Century (Doubled Sided) Mentions of writers Sarah Richardson, Marylyn Cherry, Sammy Palfrey, Gilda O’Neil and Gail Chester. Themes discussed are class identity, the Miner’s strike, the publishing industry in relation to working class women and Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp. Also includes a list of Working Press titles including books written by Graham Harwood and Stefan Szczelkun. Ref: WPA/SS/11

Title: Pat Barker beats Rushdie Guardian newspaper article from 1995 focusing on working class writer, Pat Barker winning the Booker Prize. Themes include class and gender. Ref: WPA/SS/11 Title: Cath Tate Cards Christmas 1995 A catalogue of novelty cards and merchandise relating to the women’s movement. Themes include sexuality, gender, motherhood and socialism. Slogans include; ‘I wanted to go out and change the world … but I couldn’t find a baby sitter’, ‘those with brains seem OK, those with testicles I’m not so sure of…’ and ‘this government has turned me into a raving socialist’ Ref: WPA/SS/11 Title: Strike against Rent A series of writings about the Glasgow Rent Strikes of 1915 including accounts by The Woman’s Dreadnough and Helen Crawfurd. Helen Crawfurd was a woman who was very active within Glagow women’s Housing association, the Independent and the suffragette movement. Key women mentioned within these writings include; Mrs Mary Barbour, Mrs Ferguson, Mrs Morrison, Mrs Laird. Themes discussed within these writings include; housing, protest, war and politics. Ref: WPA/SS/11 Title: The Newsletter of the Women Writers Network A newsletter from April 1996 that promotes women writing and publishing including classified ads, book reviews and competitions. Women mentioned within the newsletter include Laura J. Cameron, Joanne Maguire, Elizabeth Baines, Ailsa Cox and Fiona Kenshole. References to other publications include; Everywoman, New Woman, the Pink Paper and Woman & Home. Themes include cuts to libraries and women’s publications. Ref: WPA/SS/11 Title: Forest Clarion A socialist paper specific to The Forest of Dean which focuses on saving the forest as well as other issues such as housing, employment and congestion. Also includes an article ‘Writing on the Line’ focusing on a book by Sarah Richardson of the same title published by Working Press. This book covers working class women writers of the twentieth century. Women featured within the article include; Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Merylyn Cherry, Sammy Palfrey, Gail Chester, Gilda O’Neil, Denise Jones and Liz Thompson. Institutions mentioned include the Women’s History Network, Marx Memorial Library, the Labour party, the Fawcett Library, the Feminist Library, Yorkshire Arts Circus, Eastside Writers and the Women’s Writers Network. Ref: WPA/SS/11 Title: Everywoman Single sheet of A4 giving background information regarding Everywoman ‘Britain’s only feminist magazine’, in particular the demographics of the reader. Themes include gender and women within publishing. Individuals mentioned within the article include Jan Kaneen and Liz Gibbs. Ref: WPA/SS/11 Title: What’s the Word? Quarterly newsletter with this particular issue being published around International Women’s Day. Also includes obituary of writer Laureen Hickey who was involved with the worker writer movement. Institutions mentioned within the newsletter include Federation of Worker Writers and Publishers, Tottenham & Wood Green Writers and Newham Arts Education Centre Ref: WPA/SS/11 Title: How I think or feel working press could operate Three pages essay on ‘How I think or feel working press could operate’ by Michelle Baharier. Discusses ownership of working class history as well as redefining terms such as rape, human rights and underprivileged. Themes include; class, gender and human rights.

Title: 177, Navarino Mansions, Dalston Lane, London E8 1LF Letter to Stefan Szczelku from Alison discussing the need for Working Press to have more funding as well as part time paid employee in order for publications to go ahead. Another issues raised is the difficult balancing paid and unpaid work. Themes include; class, funding, unpaid work. Ref: WPA/SS/2/4