User:Gillian Young/Women Live

To do

• Gather substantial mentions of Women Live in reliable sources as defined here WP:RS: generally books, magazines, newspapers, academic journals, trade publications, and expert websites qualify.
• Add references and inline citations as explained here: WP:REFB
• Demonstrate notability with several excellent references. Also review Wikipedia:Notability_(books).
• Summarizing the magazine's scope, reach, significance, and importance in the introductory paragraph. (note, this should be backed up by references and not be your opinion).
• If you have any questions, ask me on my talk page or drop by the Teahouse again. Cheers! Ocaasi ^{t | c} 16:10, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

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Women Live was a quarterly British magazine of writing and artwork by women about their lives', founded by editor Gill Horitz. In partnership with producer and designer, Ruth Hecht, a co-operative was formed to develop and manage the production of the magazine. Six issues were published from Autumn 1987 to Summer 1989.

Concept

The concept was to produce a new kind of women’s magazine which would be available in mainstream outlets, publishing only autobiographical content transformed through the creative medium of writing or visual art.

Each contributor's work was presented in the context of her life, with a short autobiographical introduction, and additional commentary by the writer/artist on the impact of making art. Contributors included women in the UK and beyond, both new and established writers and artists.

In 1988, Women Live was shortlisted for a Women in Publishing Pandora award.

Management and Finance

Gill Horitz researched and developed the initial concept through the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, and with Ruth Hecht formed a Co-operative and Limited Company. Members included: Caroline Coombes, Sheila Jacobs, Maggie Chudley, Charlotte Bentham, Helen Pemberton, Kim Boden, Sarah Andrews,

Some newsagents, such WH Smith and John Menzies refused to stock the magazine nationally, because the cover design presented a creative representation of a woman, rather than the ususal portrayal on mainstream magazine covers. The image on the cover of Rita Keegan (Issue 3) was identified by a mainstream retailer as ‘unacceptable’.

A Women Live Celebration was held at the Watershed, Bristol in April 1989, as part of Watershed’s Feminist Book Fortnight events.

In early 1989, a Borrowing Community was formed through ethical finance company, Mercury Provident, an arrangement by which supporters loaned money to support the sustainability of the enterprise. However, in spite of this, it became impossible to sustain Women Live as a viable business, and the project was disbanded after issue six.

Women Live was produced by Pia Ltd, Cardiff and distributed by Central Books.

Reviews

Helen Franks, The Guardian newspaper, August 1 1989: ‘Women Live is like no other women’s magazine. But that’s its appeal. There is no cookery or fashion or advice column, or even book reviews. What it consists of is personal history, diaries, poems about family relations, love, sex, and childhood. Every contributor provides a brief self-description plus sometimes a longer explanation of why or how the piece cam to be conceived and written.’

‘Many women’s magazines and newspapers carry women’s personal stories which are often moving and sometimes harrowing but never the issue-full. Women Live has more in common with the worthy offerings that came out of the consciousness raising efforts of the women’s movement in the Seventies, though mainly without militancy.’

Emma Thompson, wrote: ‘So much of women’s lives goes past undocumented and unsung that it is very important for there to be a forum in which women can literally describe their experiences. Our minds are spiritually very close, it seems to me, but our experiences completely disparate and fragmented. We have no history. Women Live is a way of making it.

This is an intimate publication that will be of interest to students of women’s studies and of documentary uses of the arts, and to the general feminist reader, British Book News

This is a women’s reality and creativity expressed with startling directness. Women Live insists that not only is the personal political: it’s a necessity. Spare Rib

Women Live gives a matchless opportunity for ordinary women to write about their lives: Morning Star

Well – balanced and honest, this magazine does not fall into the feminist trap of ‘reverse discrimination’. Articles and stories are straight-forward, poems of high standard; production excellent; selection covers a wide spectrum of attitudes and beliefs.’ Orbis

Contributors

Ann Born, Astra, Carolyn Heilbrun, Diana Gittins, Dorothy Nimmo, Elsa Corbluth, Gladys Mary Coles, Helen Flint, Jill Dawson, Jo Spence, Carol Anne Davis, Carole Spearing McCauley, Caroline Born, Carolyn Heilbrun, Curtise Monk, Dee May, Diana Gittins. Dorothy Nimmo Elsa Corbluth, Esther Hodge, Esther Jones, Folake Shoga, Gladys Mary Coles, Helen Flint, Irene Redish, Janet Edmeades, Janet Pemberton, Jo Verrent, Joan Michelson, Leslie Saunders Marguerite Morgan, Maria Tolly, Matilda Harrison, Natalie D’Arbeloff Pat Gregory, Peggy Poole, Rachael Field, Rebecca O’Rourke Rita Kegan, Tierl Thompson, Tina Fulker, Viv Quillin

Books featured

Writing A Woman’s Life (Carolyn Heilbrun) Published by Ballantine Books

Dear Girl: The Diaries and Letters of two working women 1897 – 1917, (Edited: Tierl Thompson)

Charting The Journey: Writing by Black and Third World Women, (Edited: S Grewal, Jackie Kay, Liliane Landor, Gail Lews, Pratibha Parmar) Published by Sheba Feminist Press

References

A collection of Women Live publications can be found in The Women’s Library, reference/reading room in London. Guardian article Others? cover photos

Category: literary magazines published in the United Kingdom