The third of our #WomenVote100 Anthologies: a showcase for poets Arachne has previously published in anthologies, giving an opportunity to explore their writing in greater depth.

These are poems made of myth and family, origins and anger, journeys and home: witty,
clever, beautiful and sometimes harsh.
Whilst not directly reflecting on the experience of women fighting for the vote, the concerns of women are foremost and are passionately addressed.

read a sample

London Grip's Carla Scarano reviewed at length https://londongrip.co.uk/2019/02/vindication/

a compelling collection... captivating prosody... sharp irony ... fresh, thought-provoking... clear riveting lines... The poems collected in the anthology form an absorbing analysis condensing some major issues in the vindication of women’s rights since Mary Wollstonecraft. They are a tribute commemorating women’s past sufferings and perseverance, and they point to present commitment to an ongoing fight.

Brilliant review on The Lake, from Hannah Stone: (page no longer exists)

Perhaps what resonates most from this collection is that whatever the subject matter, Wollstonecraft’s exhortation has been heeded throughout: ‘Women – endeavour to acquire/strength, both of mind and body,/ soft phrases, susceptibility/ of heart, delicacy of sentiment…’.

My own sex, I hope, will excuse me,
if I treat them like rational creatures,
instead of flattering their fascinating
graces, as if they were in perpetual
childhood, unable to stand alone.

From Vindication by Anne Macaulay, a found poem based on the work of Mary Wollstonecraft.