Pauline reflects on a fascinating conversation between cultural journalist and author Annabelle Hirsch, and GWL’s own Donna Moore, exploring Annabelle’s book, A history of women in 101 objects.
Wendy welcomed everyone and introduced Susan from the Goethe Institut, who thanked GWL for hosting this event which follows Annabelle’s appearance at the Edinburgh Book Festival.
Donna told us that she had very much enjoyed reading Annabelle’s book as it presented history from a different viewpoint than was usual and asked Annabelle how she had come to write it in this way. Responding, Annabelle explained that she had been thinking about who gets to tell the stories and had decided to focus on the small intimate objects as well the large public ones. It had been like a history pot where she found not only the great women of the past but women just like us. She was interested in personal connections with the small, more everyday objects important to ordinary women.
Asked about the selection process, Annabelle confirmed that she made the choices, that it was deliberately Western hemisphere orientated as she felt she didn’t know enough about other cultures. Originally, the German edition had 100 objects but she had since expanded it to 101 (a bunch of hair) to highlight the protests for women’s rights in Iran.
Annabelle read “The Hatpin” an amusing, ironic story of women turning the tables on importunate men. A small object telling a big story about women’s increasing freedom, at the end of the 19th century, to go out unaccompanied and the men who thought it gave them carte blanche to accost them on the street or in public transport. The hatpin was the equivalent of today’s pepper spray or keys held between our fingers and was a very effective defensive weapon.
Donna said she found “Ashley’s Sack” the most moving item and reading it now, I agree with her. Discovered in a flea market in Nashville and now in a museum in South Carolina (with a box of tissues at the ready beside it) this is a small cloth bag which had contained mementos for her 9 year old daughter which her mother gave her when the little girl was sold away from her at a slave market. A small object telling a huge story of cruelty and inhumanity over the centuries.
This is a brilliant book telling of women’s lives over the past 30,000 years and there was very appreciative applause when Donna thanked Annabelle for sharing her fascinating stories with us.
A History of Women in 101 Objects is in stock at GWL.
There is also audio version read by different women, including Jackie Kay, Nicola Sturgeon and Helen Mirren.
