Almost one year after Our Emmeline was unveiled to great acclaim a book has been published sharing her story and that of the 20 women that featured as part of the project to see the first female statue in a century take its place in Manchester City Centre.
Written by author and historian Helen Antrobus and Andrew Simcock, who led the Our Emmeline campaign, First in the Fight celebrates the radical women whose bravery, campaigning and vision has helped to shape Manchester and beyond.
These are Margaret Ashton, Lydia Becker, Louise Da-Cocodia, Margaret Downes, Elizabeth Gaskell, Annie Horniman, Sunny Lowry, Kathleen Ollerenshaw, Emmeline Pankhurst, Christabel Pankhurst, Sylvia Pankhurst, Mary Quaile, Elizabeth Raffald, Esther Roper, Enriqueta Rylands, Olive Shapley, Shena Simon, Marie Stopes, Ellen Wilkinson and Emily Williamson.
Helen Antrobus says, “Although there is only one statue, and only one woman represented in that statue, she should stand for all the women featured in the book, and the many more that lay forgotten or lost in history. I hope that our book can bring those names, those deeds, and those words back into our public memory.”
Andrew Simcock says, “The public showed such tremendous support for Our Emmeline that we felt that one of the most fitting legacies to the project was a book to not only capture and share Emmeline Pankhurst’s story, but those of all the women that featured in the campaign.”
The words of Andrew and Helen meet the illustrations of Women in Print, a collective of northern based female artists. The work in First in the Fight is that of Laura Boast, Laura Bohill, Emma Bowen, Emily Dayson, Halah El-Kholy, Nicola Fernandes, Alex Francis, Tomekah George, Deanna Halsall, Joyce Lee, Anna Mullin, Helen Musselwhite, Amy Rochester, Nell Smith, Maisy Summer, Ellie Thomas, Chelsea Waites, Eve Warren, Sarah Wilson and Wendy Wong.
Jane Bowyer, curator of Women in Print, says, “It’s thanks to the wonderful Women in Print artists that a beautiful artwork represents each of the women’s stories in First in the Fight; each of which shows that as individuals we have the ability to create change and improve the world round us for ourselves and for others regardless of where you were born, regardless of your gender.”
First in the Fight received a rapturous reception at its public launch at People’s History Museum and is now not only available in the museum’s book shop, but bookshops around Manchester including EJ Moreton Booksellers and Waterstones. It can also be ordered online at www.firstinthefight.co.uk
