Have You Heard Of… any of these women?
I hadn’t! In my research to find out about women I had never heard of before,
I roamed the world from my computer. Mostly in lockdown, cup of tea in hand,
I opened up the world from my desk, every day, and dived in.
The daily sense of intellectual travelling, when physical movement was restricted and we were all so confined - the curiosity, the spark, the interest and intrigue of research- kept me going. And this work is the result!
Asma Jahangir
For example, have you heard of Asma Jahangir? A lawyer from Pakistan, Asma campaigned and worked for minority groups. She was FIERCE.
Olive Morris
And what about Olive Morris? An outspoken activist, Olive lived in Brixton in the 1960s and 70s. She mobilised her local communities to fight against racial injustice, and housing inequality. Olive died at a very young age, from cancer, but achieved a lot in her short life.
Janaki Ammal
Janaki Ammal is another woman of whom you may not have heard! Born in Kerala, India, Janaki studied and worked in America and the UK, becoming a well respected botanist. When she worked in London, in the 1940s, she smuggled a palm squirrel called Kapok into the UK in the folds of her sari.
Stephanie Kwolek
Have you heard of Kevlar? It is a synthetic fibre used in bullet-proof vests, and it was discovered, through experimentation and creative chemical explorations, by chemist Stephanie Kwolek. Imagine inventing something that has saved so many lives!
Lavinia Fontana
And consider the wonderfully named Lavinia Fontana. Perhaps even more, please take some time to consider her husband, no doubt the busiest of men, Gian Paolo Zappi, who looked after their eleven children while Lavinia worked! (Gian Paolo was also an artist. It’s said that he wasn’t quite gifted with Lavinia’s prodigious genius, but she did let him on occasion paint some of the drapery in the background of her portraits).
I know that there are so many interesting and amazing people in the world, of whom few of us have ever heard.
Have You Heard Of...? is my mission to bring more of them to our attention!
*Presenting this work to the world is nothing less than an honour, and one I take seriously. I have worked hard to represent people fairly, respectfully, and factually, in both my illustrations and words. Any faults are entirely my own, and I’m happy to hear about them. Please email trudi@trudimurray.com if you know I could improve on the accuracy of any content. Thank you!