Rare Book Week: The Women Writers Fund at State Library Victoria

Historically, women’s voices have been overlooked and ignored by collecting institutions. State Library Victoria’s Women Writers Fund was established in 2021 with the support of co-founders Krystyna Pretty-Campbell-Pretty AM and Helen Sykes, to redress an historical imbalance of women’s voices in the State Collection. This Fund, the first of its kind for public libraries in Australia, seeks to bring women’s words to wider audiences.

Some exciting additions to the State Collection, courtesy of the Fund, include first editions of Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Ursula Le Guin, Toni Morrison, and many more.

Join the Library's Principal Librarian Anna Welch to explore the highlights from the Women’s Writers Fund and view some of the titles collected so far.

Book your tickets now.

About The Women Writers Fund

The Women Writers Fund is a pioneering fund that seeks to redress the historical gender imbalance in State Library Victoria's collection by acquiring works by under-represented 19th and 20th-century women writers.

The Women Writers Fund was co-founded by Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Helen Sykes and endowed by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust.

You can donate here

About Melbourne Rare Book Week

Rare Book Week is an annual, Melbourne-wide program of free talks and events that celebrate the importance of books, literacy and literature in our lives. It has become a key event in literary Melbourne’s calendar since 2012.

By registering to attend or purchasing a ticket to a State Library Victoria event, you agree to our Conditions of Entry.