This ground-breaking anthology brings together a wide selection of women's writings from the Victorian period (excluding fiction and drama), most of which cannot be easily found elsewhere. There are writings from more than 60 authors, including such well known writers as Harriet Martineau, Laetitia Landon, Frances Trollope, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Gaskell, Barbara Bodichon, George Eliot, Christina Rossetti, Margaret Oliphant. The volume covers a broad range of public and private genres from the period including poetry, critical essays, biography, travel literature, political commentary, letters, diaries and journals.Key Features* An introduction which places the writings in historical and literary context, a chronological table and author biographies* Textual and explanatory notes to each text* An index of themes which enables teachers to select materials to suit their courses