Sylvia Pankhurst: Natural Born Rebel

Sylvia Pankhurst was a political rebel, human rights champion, and radical feminist who fought for votes for women and served multiple sentences in Holloway prison. She was a true internationalist, engaging with political giants and living a controversial life. Her biography celebrates a life in resistance, painting a compelling portrait of one of the greatest unsung political figures of the twentieth century.

Format: Hardback
Length: 976 pages
Publication date: 17 September 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Sylvia Pankhurst, a woman who defied societal norms and emerged as a trailblazer in politics, human rights, and feminism, is the subject of this comprehensive and captivating biography. Born into a renowned activist family, Sylvia possessed a natural rebellious spirit and a remarkable talent as an artist, writer, and newspaper editor. Despite often being overshadowed by her famous mother, Emmeline, and elder sister, Christabel, Sylvia emerged as the most revolutionary among them.

Her unwavering commitment to equality led her to engage in fierce battles for women's voting rights, enduring multiple incarcerations in Holloway prison, where she faced brutal torture. However, her fight for equality was just the beginning of her lifelong pursuit of human rights. Sylvia's foresight and activism warned of the rise of fascism in Europe, and she tirelessly campaigned against racism and championed the liberation struggles in Africa and India.

Sylvia's adventures across America, Soviet Russia, Scandinavia, Europe, and East Africa solidified her status as a true internationalist. She engaged in intellectual conversations with political giants such as Churchill, Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg, George Bernard Shaw, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Haile Selassie, leaving an indelible mark on the world. Her personal life, too, was marked by controversy and intrigue. The rupture between Sylvia, Emmeline, and Christabel became global news, and her love affair with the married Keir Hardie was one of the most celebrated political romances of her time. Despite never marrying her life partner, Silvio Corio, Sylvia had a son at the age of forty-five, further adding to her remarkable story.

Acclaimed biographer Rachel Holmes has skillfully woven together the personal and political aspects of Sylvia's life, offering a fresh and insightful perspective on this remarkable woman. This major new biography celebrates a life dedicated to resistance, painting a compelling portrait of Sylvia Pankhurst as a visionary, a rebel, and a champion of human rights.

Weight: 1616g
Dimension: 165 x 242 x 61 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781408880418