A vital new memoir of one of Wales’ most influential heroines.

In the Victorian era, women were considered ill-suited and incapable of public and intellectual leadership. But Cranogwen, also known as Sarah Jane Rees (1839–1916) of Llangrannog, rose to fame as an acclaimed poet, lecturer, editor, and preacher – and paved the way for other women aspiring to write and become public figures. This volume endeavours to understand why and how Cranogwen, an unmarried woman from a working-class background, rose to such prestige and influence within the Welsh community of her age. New light is also shone on her queer identity, and progressive ideas about gender. Biographical volumes on Cranogwen were published in 1932 and 1981, but since then the growth of the feminist movement has prompted further study (on nineteenth-century women and lesbian writers in particular, and on women in maritime communities) which is highly relevant to Cranogwen’s history. In light of all this additional material, this volume provides a new portrait of her life and influence.