British Library partners with Leeds Libraries on a weekend of events exploring women's rights and gender equality in Leeds

It is the British Library’s Leeds Programme and in partnership with Leeds Libraries, "Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women’s Rights", engages with Leeds’ unique contribution to the campaign for gender equality, reflecting the different experiences of women in the city.

The events run online from Thursday until Sunday November and feature renowned and respected women from around the world such as poets, authors, writers, and artists who come together to converse, read, create, and perform.

Leeds-based literary activist Khadijah Ibrahiim, author Tracey Chevalier [Girl with a Pearl Earring], Yorkshire-based author and journalist Yvette Huddleston, Booker Prize nominee Nikita Lalwani, West Yorkshire born poet and writer Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, writer Stephanie Scott [What’s Left of me is Yours} and Yorkshire-based VR artist Rosie Summers will all take part in the weekend’s activity.

Dr Polly Russell, lead curator of Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women’s Rights at the British Library, said: “Leeds has a strong history of female activism from the fight for suffrage, Reclaim the Night Marches, and union strikes for fairer working conditions to the current campaign to make Leeds the first women-friendly city.

“This programme of events will bring together local stories and connect them to the wider history of women’s rights."

The programme wraps up with a Women in Leeds Wikithon that looks at how to edit pages on Wikipedia and address its gender imbalance.

The full weekend listings:

Spoken Word Showcase - Thu 19 Nov 2020, 19.00 - 21:00

Hosted by the renowned literary activist, writer and playwright Khadijah Ibrahiim, this special event features poets and artists from Yorkshire. We’ll begin with a panel discussion exploring women’s voices, activism and the fight for a fairer world featuring guest poet Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan followed by performances from emerging and established artists.

Writers in Conversation - Fri 20 Nov 2020, 19:00 - 20:30

For this in conversation event, novelists Tracy Chevalier, Nikita Lalwani and Stephanie Scott will read extracts from their latest works and take part in a panel discussion led by journalist Yvette Huddleston.

A Mixed Reality Portrait - Sat 21 Nov 2020, 17:00 - 18:00

Watch live as artist Rosie Summers brings art to life, creating a portrait of the inspirational primatologist Alison Jolly, who features in our major exhibition, Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women’s Rights.

Wikithon: Women in Leeds - Sun 22 Nov 2020, 13:00 - 15:00

Celebrate some of the amazing women of Leeds past and present, by learning how to edit pages on Wikipedia and address its gender imbalance in this informal workshop.

https://www.bl.uk/events/unfinished-business-leeds-wikithon-women-in-leeds

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