Selected Articles from The Woman’s World
The Joan Winchell Edition
In 1887, Oscar Wilde became the editor of The Woman’s World, a women’s monthly magazine published by Cassell and Company, Ltd. He insisted that the name be changed from The Lady’s World to reflect its transformation into ‘the recognised organ for the expression of women’s opinions on all subjects of literature, art, and modern life’. ‘There is at present no such magazine in England,’ he declared. Wilde’s brief tenure has been overshadowed by his sparkling society comedies, and by tragic events in his turbulent private life, but this was a pivotal time in his career. His vision for The Woman’s World was far-reaching and forward-thinking. Within these pages, reprinted for the first time in almost a century and a half, are thirty erudite and beautifully illustrated articles dealing with women in politics, higher education, literature, travel and the professions, each one annotated and with a biographical note on its contributor.
Here is ‘The Pictures of Sappho’, the earliest published article by classical scholar Jane Ellen Harrison, a founder of modern studies in ancient Greek religion and mythology and the first British woman to achieve the status of career academic. Here too is Dr Mary Marshall, one of the ‘Edinburgh seven’, whose dignified campaign in response to the refusal to allow them to graduate as medical doctors earned them national attention and many staunch supporters, prominent among them Charles Darwin. Political activist Millicent Garrett Fawcett, the first woman to be honoured with a statue in Parliament Square, writes about the absurdity of denying women the right to vote. They are joined by celebrity novelists Ouida and Marie Corelli, Wilde’s campaigning wife, Constance, his extraordinary mother, Lady Wilde, and many more. A comprehensive introduction presents the latest scholarship on the powerful influence of Wilde’s time as editor on his work and ideas.
In order to show the extremely high standard of writing and illustration that characterised The Woman’s World under Oscar Wilde’s editorship, the Oscar Wilde Society is proud to announce the publication of the Joan Winchell edition of Selected Articles from The Woman’s World, chosen, annotated and with an introduction by Eleanor Fitzsimons. The volume will include:
- 30 articles, never reprinted since the 1880s, covering women in politics, education, literature, the arts, careers and travel
- 84 illustrations including some full-page illustrations reproduced at original size, and providing fine examples of the transition in reproduction techniques from wood engraving to line-block and half-tone photo-mechanical processes
- Biographical notes about authors, who include Marie Corelli, Ouida, Constance Wilde, Lady Wilde and Arthur Balfour
- Biographical notes about illustrators, including Walter Crane and Charles Ricketts
- Introduction by Eleanor Fitzsimons covering the importance of The Woman’s World in Oscar Wilde’s career, in the publishing environment of his time, and in late nineteenth-century feminism and women’s rights
320 pages
303 x 235mm (original size) on high-quality paper
Linen-bound cover with gold-foiled title
Endpapers by E. W. Godwin
ISBN 978-0-9560120-4-3
Price: £35
Postage and packing:
- UK £5.70
- Europe £20
- Rest of World: £38
Please select the total price based on your shipping address, then click Buy Now.
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What the experts are saying:
“The Oscar mosaic has very few blank spaces left, you might think. Well, Eleanor Fitzsimons has placed a series of exquisite tiles in one such important void – Wilde’s work as editor of The Woman’s World magazine. More than just a pause while looking around for something better, this post was one Oscar took seriously, because he took women seriously – women’s minds, views, tastes, ambitions and insights. He selected some remarkable pieces for the magazine, most of them by women writers, and the best of these Eleanor Fitzsimons has collected, along with the most marvellous illustrations and background notes. It’s an invaluable service, which will greatly enrich the world of Wildean scholarship and appreciation.”
Stephen Fry
“Eleanor Fitzsimons has exploded the myth that Oscar Wilde was a lazy editor. She shows how hard he worked to find the best writers and the best illustrators to make his magazine a beacon of progressive thought regarding women in education, the professions, politics and the arts.”
Gyles Brandreth
“Oscar Wilde knew The Importance of Being Feminist. Years before creating bold and outspoken women characters for the stage, he recruited their real-life equivalents to write for the magazine that he edited, where they were encouraged to express controversial views on everything from work to higher education. He also showcased their articles in a beautifully illustrated format. Eleanor Fitzsimons brings selections (and visual images) from The Woman’s World into our own world with her erudite and eloquent commentary, providing not only biographical details about the contributors, but a panoramic picture of the literary, social, and publishing scenes of late-1880s Britain. Her edited volume will give great pleasure—the only thing, of course, one should live for.”
Margaret D. Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women’s Studies, University of Delaware
“This celebration of Oscar Wilde’s editorship of The Woman’s World reveals his important contribution to the feminist movement as it was emerging in the late nineteenth century. With her excellent introduction and careful selection of articles, Eleanor Fitzsimons showcases and contextualises a group of writers, whose lively contributions immerse us in debates about fashion, politics, literature, history and careers for women. A fascinating read, it both reveals the sympathies of its editor, and revives the voices of some indomitable, pioneering women.”
Franny Moyle, author of Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde
“This book recovers many fascinating voices. They are interesting in their own right, but also they enrich the context of Wilde’s development, and add some fascinating figures to the cast list of his life story.”
Matthew Sturgis, author of Oscar: A Life
Sample pages:
