2. A Quest for Liberation

Ann Veronica is living alone in London in her quest for liberation. But it's an uphill struggle.

She must fight off the sexual advances of a so called friend, discover the love of her life is married, and get arrested and imprisoned for a suffragette raid on the House of Commons.

Conclusion of HG Wells' witty and lively tale.

The storytelling is witty and ironic and Ann Veronica caused a scandal in its time because of the feminist sensibilities of the heroine and also because of the affair Wells was having with Amber Reeves, the woman who inspired the novel's eponymous character. This is a relatively unknown and unexpected novel by Wells.

The Spectator described Ann Veronica as a "poisonous book..." Although unlikely to offend modern listeners, this novel addresses many feminist versus femininity issues that are still relevant today.

The novel deals with the early stages of what is arguably the most important social development of the 20th Century, the education and financial and sexual liberation of women. And the fact is that, nearly 100 years later, the problem of women who want to marry, have children and pursue a liberating career, is still not easy to solve.

Wells makes a good case for freer sexual relationships, but Amber Reeves - and later Rebecca West - were the ones whose lives were changed - by bearing and bringing up a child by him.

Dramatised by Ellen Dryden.

Ann Veronica …... Amy Hoggart
Mr Stanley ..…. Geoffrey Whitehead
H.G. Wells ..…. Bill Nighy
Aunt Molly …... Ruth Alexander-Rubin
Kitty Brett ..…. Verity Henry
Manning ..…. Toby Hadoke
Ramage …... Jonathan Keeble

Director: Pauline Harris

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2017.