Matilde Serao (1857-1927) was a successful and prolific journalist and novelist. This book tells the story of the arrival in Rome of a provincial deputy from the poor South. It paints a portrait of political and social life in contemporary Rome.

The best-known novel of Sophie von La Roche, a German 18th-century woman writer. The plot reflects typical 18th-century concerns: the value of sentiment and the importance of virtue in attaining a good life. The publication of this novel reflects a recent revival of interest in the author.

Florence Nightingale is famous as the heroine of the Crimean War and later as a campaigner for medical care founded on a clean environment and good nursing. Suggestions for Thought, which contains the novel Cassandra, is a central text in nineteenth-century history of feminist thought.

An early example of satirical political writing by a woman. The book, with its blend of politics and sexuality, is based on the public and private lives of prominent politicians and society figures of the time.

"New Blazing World" (1666), is one of the earliest pieces of science fiction, telling the story of a voyage to a Utopian World. The Duchess of Newcastle (1623-73) was fascinated by contemporary science, and wove it into her writings. She was a colourful figure as well as a popular author.