The legacy of the 18th century feminist and writer.
250 years ago the feminist and thinker Mary Wollstonecraft, the author of 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman', was born. Her extraordinary life fuelled her thinking but was sometimes at odds with it. She had two children, the first, Fanny, born out of wedlock; the birth of her second, Mary– later Mary Shelley – led to her death from septicaemia. After her death her husband published a full and frank account of her life with consequences for her reputation that meant it was only in the 1970s that serious consideration was again given to her. Professor Janet Todd joins Jenni to discuss her status now and what she might mean to future generations.
The image of Mary Wollstonecraft by John Opie is reproduced by kind permission of the National Portrait Gallery, London - oil on canvas, circa 1797
