The Dictionary of Lost Words
Book • 2021
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams is a historical fiction novel set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The story revolves around Esme Nicoll, a young girl who grows up in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers are compiling the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Esme collects discarded word slips, particularly those related to women and marginalized groups, which are often excluded from the dictionary.
As she grows, Esme creates her own dictionary, 'The Dictionary of Lost Words', to document these overlooked terms.
The novel intertwines Esme's life with historical events such as the women's suffrage movement and the Great War, highlighting the power and significance of language and its impact on society.
The story revolves around Esme Nicoll, a young girl who grows up in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers are compiling the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Esme collects discarded word slips, particularly those related to women and marginalized groups, which are often excluded from the dictionary.
As she grows, Esme creates her own dictionary, 'The Dictionary of Lost Words', to document these overlooked terms.
The novel intertwines Esme's life with historical events such as the women's suffrage movement and the Great War, highlighting the power and significance of language and its impact on society.
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Mentioned by Sarah Kanowski as Pip Williams ' first novel, which unexpectedly became an international bestseller.
Pip Williams — from dyslexia to the Dictionary of Lost Words
