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Talk

Women of Bath and Willesden: Ordinary Women in English Literature

Professor Marion Turner · Gresham College

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About

In this lecture, Professor Marion Turner explores ‘ordinary women’ in English literature, arguing that Chaucer’s 14th-century Wife of Bath was the first such woman: a middle-aged, sexually active working woman who tells the outrageous story of her own life.Zadie Smith’s 21st century translation of her story demonstrates the ongoing relevance of thinking about the space we have for women’s voices in theatre, poetry and public life.

The talk

  1. Women of Bath and Willesden: Ordinary Women in English Literature 2026-09-30 · YouTube

Credits and licence

Institution
Gresham College
Speaker
Professor Marion Turner
Year
2026
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Literature and writing
Source
Gresham College
Licence
Educational use (Gresham College's terms), as Gresham College states it. Gresham College's terms
Attribution
Gresham College states: "We positively encourage the use of the Gresham College lecture transcripts, audio and video files for educational purposes. However, we do not allow use of Gresham College materials for commercial, personal or institutional gain."
Who can watch
Gresham College gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed