With International Women’s Day falling on March 8, we pay tribute to women who write, by discussing the choice to consciously read more female authors - and the many things a reader gains by doing so. We further recommend books by some of our favourite women writers. Then in Footnotes, we talk about how the largest literary collection ever found in the UK - including manuscripts by the Brontës, Jane Austen and Walter Scott - was saved from private auction and made available to the public.

Image source: Zurinah Hassan Tokoh Puisi Melayu Abad Ke-20 Facebook Page, Mark Peterman, Art Streiber / AUGUST.