'Delighting in fighting "a womanless past": remembering Dale Spender (1943-2023)'

In November 2023, Australian-born literary scholar and feminist historian Dale Spender (1943-2023) passed away. Anyone researching early Australian women writers knows of Spender. Perhaps others do not. Yet, her memory is vital for those invested in uncovering the immense and invaluable contribution of women to the making of nineteenth- and twentieth century history (in the 'West'). In this dedication to her memory, I focus on Spender's commitment to exposing the rich veins of modern feminist history that have been overshadowed, if not completely buried, by dominant patriarchal narratives. I explain how her work resonates powerfully with the feminist historian-activist keen to assuage the fears of younger generations who worry that they have to begin the overwhelming project of feminism anew.