Virtual Swindon Spring Festival
May 2020
Why are women the main buyers and readers of fiction, members of book clubs, and attendees at literary festivals? How have evolving attitudes towards sexual relations changed female readers’ relationships with romantic and erotic fiction? Why do certain works of fiction by Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë resonate with British women readers?
Why Women Read Fiction | Helen Taylor
January 2020
Why Women Read Fiction draws on over 500 interviews with and questionnaires from women readers and writers. It describes how, where, and when women read fiction, and examines why stories and writers influence the way female readers understand and shape their own life stories.
Why Women Read Fiction - Hardback - Helen Taylor - Oxford University Press
Helen Taylor is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Exeter, Honorary Fellow of the British Association of American Studies, and Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow 2016-18. A specialist in literature and culture of the American South and women's writing, she has published widely in both areas. She was the first Director of the Liverpool Literary Festival, 2016 and 2018. © Oxford University Press
The Stories of Our Lives
An accessible and engaging look at contemporary women's reading practices and preferences
Draws on 500 questionnaire responses and interviews with women readers and writers, including Hilary Mantel, Helen Dunmore, Louise Doughty, Sarah Dunant, Katie Fforde, Judy Finnigan, and Lennie Goodings
Discusses how distinguished female writers see themselves as readers and relate to women readers, as well as a male-dominated industry
An overview of the literary industry through the eyes of women readers including childhood reading, book clubs, literary festivals and literary tourism, and discussions on re-reading particular novels by members of reading groups
The Joy of Reading During Lockdown
April 2021
Professor Helen Taylor speaks to us from her study to shine a light on some of the ways in which reading can offer respite from the tumult of the outside world. She offers viewers a wealth of literary recommendations, from snappy short stories that bring temporary diversion all the way through to classic novels that will have sat on shelves for years, waiting for the opportune moment to be explored. From virtual book clubs to the rediscovery of old favourites, there’s something for everyone to enjoy here.