The writing of 18th century sex workers with Alex Collinson

Today I’m joined by ⁠Alexandra Collinson⁠, a third year PhD student at Newcastle University studying eighteenth-century literature. We’ll be talking about her project, The Sex Workers’ Revolution: Prostitution and Feminism in Women’s writing, 1787-1801, and more broadly about women, sex work, virtue and motherhood in eighteeth century England and Ireland.  Alex’s PhD project asserts that revolutionary feminists such as Marie-Madeleine Jodin and Mary Wollstonecraft, were not the only female writers to intervene in the patriarchal domain of late eighteenth-century politics. Her research shows that sex workers like Margaret Leeson and Ann Sheldon also made important contributions to feminist discourses on women’s nature and social roles in memoirs and legal testimonies published throughout the period. Alex’s other research interests include women’s life writing, and representations of sexuality, maternity, and prostitution in eighteenth-century literature. Her PhD project is funded by a Arts and Humanities Research Council Northern Bridge Studentship. Please note this episode was recorded in August 2023. Alex’s twitter: ⁠ Alex’s Newcastle Uni profile: ⁠⁠ See the show notes on the website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find me on social media;⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ ⁠Twitter ⁠⁠⁠and⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠. Drop me an email on ⁠⁠amoroushistories@⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ UK⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠ USA⁠⁠ Shop:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Track: No Saint, Music by: