Does gender still matter?
Women authors have long struggled for prominence in the cultural canon. Stories about women’s lives – across genres, and in all their diversity and complexity – are often played down in mainstream media. But writing by women about their experiences of the world is a vital part of our literary landscape. And demand is increasing. We know that women make up the majority of arts audiences and the bulk of enrolments in tertiary writing courses. Initiatives like the Stella Prize have sought to put gender equality on the table, and readers are seeking out more women’s writing than ever before.
