This has been an an essay which has kept writing – and rewriting – itself. I was approached by Rebecca Starford about it after she chaired a panel I appeared in, discussing the under-representation of women in print. That panel was organised by Melbourne independent bookshop Readings, on International Women’s Day. Preparing for it, and the writing of this essay, led me to a sense of real despair. I have been having versions of these conversations for some 30 years and here I was, yet again, publicly bemoaning the treatment of women. The parameters of the debate never change. In fact, I think they’re getting worse.

If you have been meaning to read Sophie Cunningham’s inspiriting response to the ‘gender differential in every area of the literary world’ from Issue Six of Kill Your Darlings, the full text is now available here.

You can purchase Issue Six of Kill Your Darlings here.