The Cambridge Companion to Early Modern Women's Writing

Featuring the most frequently taught female writers and texts ofthe early modern period, this Companion introduces the reader tothe range, complexity, historical importance, and aesthetic meritof women"s writing in Britain from 1500-1700. Presenting keytextual, historical, and methodological information, the volumeexemplifies new and diverse approaches to the study of women"swriting. The book is clearly divided into three sections, covering:how women learnt to write and how their work was circulated orpublished; how and what women wrote in the places and spaces inwhich they lived, worked, and worshipped; and the different kindsof writing women produced, from poetry and fiction to letters,diaries, and political prose. This structure makes the volumereadily adaptable to course usage. The Companion is enhanced by anintroduction that lays out crucial framework and critical issues,and by chronologies that situate women"s writings alongsidepolitical and cultural events.