Island Women Wondering Why

In 2019, I was lucky enough to be awarded funding from the Mike Howley Trust to explore three stories of women on the Isle of Wight for an interactive exhibition at the Ventnor Fringe Festival. This exhibition kick-started my interest in women’s history on the Island. Inspired by the hugely popular series "Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls" I began creating an illustrated zine telling the stories of ten women. My plan for this zine was to combine storytelling with portrait illustration to engage people of all ages in the Isle of Wight's fascinating heritage.

Island Women Wondering Why Zine

Ten true stories of inspirational women on the Isle of Wight.
Martha Eggleton

The only female skateboarder on the Wight Trash skateboard team and the youngest at just 9 years old.
Sue & Bridget

Protestors. Artists. Mothers. The Ventnor Women for Life on Earth fought for peace at Greenham Common and beyond.
Mary Ellis

Europe’s first female air commandant. Founder of the Isle of Wight Aero Club. Manger of Sandown Airport. Spitfire Girl.
Georgia Wyatt-Lovell

Saving the planet one plastic inflatable at a time. Georgia is determined to raise awareness of plastic pollution and sustainable consumption.
Isabella de Fortibus

The last Lord of the Isle of Wight was actually a Lady, and a formidable one at that.

Why Women’s Stories?

As a child I would argue passionately with the boys in my History class who insisted women contributed very little to History. My parents brought up my sister and I to believe that we could achieve anything we wanted to. This felt so at odds with the assertion that it was only men who did anything noteworthy. Women only take up 0.5% of recorded History; their stories are so often written out of the narrative. So, I want to do my part in writing them back in.