Books written by women authors to be republished with their real name

25 books written by famous and well-known women authors written under their male pen name to be republished under their own name. The campaign Reclaim Her Name aims at giving these women the recognition they deserve.

It is a known fact that women in earlier times were restricted from living a life that they wanted. Women’s freedom and voice were subdued and oppressed as men found themselves as the leader and face of the society. Despite all the aggression, there were women who spoke their minds out in many ways. They somehow lived a double life and took the courage to take their thoughts to the people while staying unnoticed.

We all know that books have always been a prominent way of communication. Books are something that gave people the power to share their thoughts and protest against ideas they did not agree with. The same book became a saviour for many women who wanted their voices to be heard. They released these books under male pen names to get it published. Working incognito, these women have been able to raise conversations leaving people wondering their true identity.

However, on the 25th anniversary of the Women's Prize for Fiction, 25 titles written by women authors under their male pen names will be republished under their campaign named Reclaim Her Name. In order to contribute to the process of talking about empowerment and helping women get their due recognition, these 25 books will be republished under the writer's original name. These 25 titles include George Eliot's Middlemarch to be reissued under her real name Mary Ann Evans, A Phantom Lover, Indiana etc. The newly featuring cover artwork from the Reclaim Her Name collection has been designed by female designers.

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Loving these covers 😊 https://www.baileys.com/en-gb/reclaim-her-name/ #reclaimhername #feminist #bookstagram #books #bookreview #bookblogger #bookaholic

A post shared by Becky (@damagedbybooks) on Aug 13, 2020 at 2:57am PDT

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(3/3) Takekurabe or 'Growing Up' - Natsu Higuchi (pen name Ichiyō Higuchi) the story of 13 year old Midori as she grows up among two rival teenage gangs living in a red light district in Tokyo. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the @womensprize, @baileysofficial has re-published 25 books with their female authors' real names on for the first time. With covers illustrated by female artists. #reclaimhername

A post shared by Eliza Mackay (@elizamackay) on Aug 12, 2020 at 12:50pm PDT

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(1/3) The Roadmender - Margaret Fairless Barber (pen name Michael Fairless). The three part story of a labourer who uses his time working on the roads to observe the natural world around him, a simple and beautifully cyclical story. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the @womensprize, @baileysofficial has re-published 25 books with their female authors' real names on for the first time. With covers illustrated by female artists. #reclaimhername

A post shared by Eliza Mackay (@elizamackay) on Aug 12, 2020 at 12:23pm PDT

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(2/3) Echoes from Mistland - Aubertine Woodward Moore (pen name Auber Forestier), is a German novel following the mulan esque story of a young woman who becomes a warrior to defend her family To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the @womensprize, @baileysofficial has re-published 25 books with their female authors' real names on for the first time. With covers illustrated by female artists. #reclaimhername

A post shared by Eliza Mackay (@elizamackay) on Aug 12, 2020 at 12:32pm PDT

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New campaign launch alert! 🚨 Today our @BaileysOfficial team in collaboration with @WomensPrize introduced #ReclaimHerName, a collection of 25 books which have been re-released under the female authors’ real name to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Prize and honour and champion the women behind the books. 💪 The team have been hard at work selling in the news and the coverage is rolling in, with hits including BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, Evening Standard, Sky News, Good Housekeeping and Yahoo. If you fancy giving any of the books a read, you can download them for free via the Baileys website. Now, it’s time to celebrate with a well-deserved 🍷

A post shared by Clarion Communications (@clarioncomms) on Aug 12, 2020 at 8:01am PDT

The full collection can be downloaded as free e-books from the website of Baileys, the sponsor of Women's Prize for Fiction.

Also Read: Check out these Indian female authors making their place in our hearts and our bookshelves