Joanna Miller, a historical fiction writer and alum of the Escalator New Writing Fellowships, discusses her debut novel, The Eights, which features Oxford's first female students. She reflects on the significance of strong female characters and the importance of women's voices in literature. Joanna shares her extensive research process and the themes of resilience and friendship among her characters, highlighting the complexities of life for women in the early 20th century. She also explores the interactions between male enablers and female characters, emphasizing emotional connections in storytelling.
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Immersive Research in Oxford
Joanna Miller immersed herself by extensively researching archives at the Bodleian Library and walking Oxford grounds regularly.
She visited Oxford Union and absorbed historic settings to enrich her novel's authenticity.
insights INSIGHT
Oxford as a Men's University
Oxford University felt like a men's university with women as guests, even decades after 1920.
Physical and social constraints highlighted the struggle for women's equality in academic spaces.
insights INSIGHT
Women's Fight Reflects Society
Post-war women faced societal barriers like loss of jobs and marriage prospects.
The struggle at Oxford mirrored the wider fight for women's rights in post-war society.
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Published in 1928, 'Decline and Fall' is Evelyn Waugh's first novel and a brilliant satire of English school life in the 1920s. The story follows Paul Pennyfeather, a theology student who is expelled from Oxford after a drunken incident involving the Bollinger Club. He then takes a job as a schoolmaster at a private school in Wales, where he encounters a cast of eccentric and misfit characters. The novel lampoons various aspects of British society, including public schools, the aristocracy, and the penal system, using Waugh's characteristic black humor and satire. Paul's misadventures include his involvement with the wealthy and unscrupulous Margot Beste-Chetwynde and his eventual imprisonment for his unwitting role in her prostitution business.
The Well of Loneliness
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The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that follows the life of Stephen Gordon, a woman from an aristocratic family who identifies as a lesbian. The book delves into themes of love, identity, and societal expectations, shedding light on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals during that era. First published in 1928, it became a landmark work in queer literature despite facing censorship and controversy.
In this episode of The Writing Life, writer Joanna Miller shares her insights into writing strong female characters in historical fiction.
Joanna Miller studied English at Exeter College, Oxford and later returned to the University to train as a teacher. After ten years in education, she set up an award-winning poetry gift business. She is an alum of our Escalator New Writing Fellowships, which helped her to transform her debut novel, The Eights, from a first draft to its final form. The Eights tells the story of Oxford University’s first admitted female students, and the unlikely, life-affirming friendship they form in their time there.
Joanna sits down with NCW Learning & Participation Producer Katie to discuss her debut novel, and the importance of exploring women's voices and experiences in historical fiction. They also touch on her research process, writing about friendship and found family, and the inspiration behind the characters and plot in The Eights.
The Writing Life 
