Uno Chiyo rose to fame in 20th century Japan as a writer, designer, domestic goddess, and fashion icon – mostly by marketing herself as just a scandalous woman. But this “Bad Girl of Good Housekeeping” was so much more than just a writer of sexy stories. Guest Rebecca Copeland helps Olivia uncover the secrets of this enigmatic, fascinating woman. All photos courtesy of Rebecca Copeland unless otherwise indicated Rebecca Copeland is a professor of Japanese …
In the 3rd century, a mysterious queen ruled the Kingdom of Yamatai (modern-day Japan) with a wise and steady hand. Her reign lasted almost 70 years – but what can we really know about her, when her people never wrote anything down? Anthropologist Laura Miller introduces Olivia to this elusive ancient queen. Read more about Queen Himiko’s continuing “rebirth” as a powerful cultural icon in Laura Miller’s fascinating articles “Searching for Charisma: Queen Himiko” …
At the dawn of the Mughal Empire, a bold and brilliant Princess outlived three Emperors, and managed to create an adventurous, wildly unexpected life for herself during one of the most tumultuous eras in history. And luckily for the rest of us – she wrote it all down! Award-winning historian and author Dr. Ruby Lal is back to introduce us to THE VAGABOND PRINCESS, Gulbadan Begum. Ruby Lal is Professor of South Asian Studies at …
Queen Seondeok of Silla was revered for her wisdom, her compassion, and most importantly – her ability to use nature’s signs to foretell the future! And with some truly audacious international diplomacy (and a resolute refusal to bend to patriarchal bullying) she would lay the foundations for the unification of The Three Kingdoms – now known as Korea. Karen Wang Diggs, author of The Book of Awesome Asian Women, helps us uncover the life of this …
Zeynab Pasha was one of the most influential voices during several crises of 19th century Iranian history. From the Bread Crisis to the Tobacco Protests and the lead up to Iran’s Constitutional Revolution, she led the way in taking back the power of the people. She was legendary, and then she disappeared – literally and figuratively. Afarin Bellisario, author of the new novel Silenced Whispers, introduces us to the life of this incredible woman. …
Whenever Teresa Lim asked about a striking woman she saw in old family photos, she was told ‘That’s Aunt Fanny; she was unfortunate.’ So naturally, Teresa Lim spent years excavating Aunt Fanny’s life in 1920s Singapore. It’s a story of three devoted sisters, ghost husbands, working-class Chinese feminists, and sworn spinsters. Turns out, Fanny was very fortunate indeed…until History arrived at her front door. Our guest is Teresa Lim, author of The Interpreter’s Daughter. All …
What’sHerName goes LIVE! To launch our new book, What’s Her Name, A History of the World in 80 Lost Women, former episode guests convene in London from all over the world for a Night of Celebration! In rapid-fire succession, brilliant 3-minute performances of poetry, song, story, and dance take us chronologically through the history of the world. The magic is punctuated throughout with short readings from the new book by Katie and Olivia. The packed …
From arriving at the port of Constantinople as a teenage bride to the heir to the Byzantine Throne, to exiling – and blinding – her own son, Constantine IV, to boldly crowning herself the first Empress Regnant of the Byzantine Empire, Irene of Athens’ life was a wildly unpredictable ride through one of the most tumultuous and fascinating periods of medieval history. Olivia interviews archaeologist and historian Judith Herrin, author of Women in Purple: Rulers …
A charming Indonesian orphan danced her way to fame and fortune… except literally everything about Mata Hari was a lie. She said she wanted to live like a butterfly in the sun. So in the end, could she really have been guilty of espionage? Katie takes us to Leiden to marvel at the incredible life of Mata Hari. Listen to Frank Turner‘s beautiful song about Mata Hari, “Eye of the Day,” here. Josine Heijnen holds …
In 1867, a ship bound for California with 400 Chinese passengers signalled distress as it drifted in the Pacific Ocean. The ship’s captain was a woman, and her mutinous crew had refused to sail the ship even though they were running out of water. How did Captain Hannah Masury Howe come to be in such a predicament, and how could she possibly save herself and the ship? Our guest for this real-life high seas adventure …
