Our understanding of history is pretty narrow. Don't get me wrong, at school, we learned about a few of the big things like the World Wars, the partition of Ireland, the War Of The Roses and, if we were lucky, a little bit about how America dealt (or didn't deal, for that matter) with the abolition of slavery, civil rights and such. But beyond that, the only other names I can spontaneously recall are Hitler, Henry VIII and Winston Churchill.
These events, and these men, aren't the only things changed the world, of course. Which we all sort-of know, but quite often the gaps in our knowledge are those incredible women who did there bit to change the world, only to be left out of the history books. The forgotten women.
It's strange to (reluctantly) admit in adulthood that I only found what Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan did in the 1950s after the release of a box office smashing blockbuster movie I went to see. But despite just about half a percent of recorded history actually documents women, we women, were still right there - front and center.
That's why brand new book series *Forgotten Women *is so important. It's a four part collection celebrating the brilliant and rebellious women who made life changing strides that dictated the way the world looks today, all the while dealing with that inherent, historic sexism thing . We sat down with author, journalist Zing Tsjeng to find out all about them.
WATCH NOW: The Debrief Meets Zing Tsjeng To Talk About Her New Book
'When I was growing up I didn’t have a lot of female role models which is actually a real shame', Zing tells *The Debrief. '*I think the first writer who made a real impact on me and made me think “oh wow what she’s doing is really cool, I really want to do that” was an author called Jeanette Winterson who wrote about growing up as a lesbian and I remember coming across her books when I was growing up in Singapore and I was really questioning my own sexuality, I came out as bisexual and finding her books was literally a life line to me – it showed that there was a way out of being a depressed confused teenager who wasn’t being supported by their friends or family – that was the first time I discovered the power of a strong female voice could be a real inspiration'.
If anything, the Forgotten Women series serves as a timely reminder of the fact that there are so many exceptional female voices and sources of inspiration that too many of us have no idea about. Zing says that she pretty much lived in the British Library for months, asking questions and requesting texts to find out about the women that feature in the book. But the difficulty she found doing so was something she had expected early on.
'I think I anticipated how difficult it would be to find a lot of the details of these women's lives. Some people were honestly really hard to discover more about.' Zing explains. 'Forgotten Women really stands on the shoulders of a lot of work that specialists and historians and academics have done to bring these peoples' lives to light'.
READ MORE: Brilliant Books By And About Women Of Colour To Add To Your Reading List RN
Debrief Books By Or About Women Of Colour
1 of 8Grand Union, Zadie Smith
The first ever collection of stories from the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Swing Time and White Teeth
3 of 8My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite
My Sister, the Serial Killer is a blackly comic novel about how blood is thicker - and more difficult to get out of the carpet - than water
4 of 8She: A Celebration Of Renegade Women, Harriet Hall
Consider this a neat package of female inspiration in one book. It features one hundred women - from Frida Kahlo to Beyoncé - who have given a middle finger to the rules and made defining contributions to the world we know.
5 of 8Daughters Of Nri (The Return of the Earth Mother), Reni K Amayo
A gruesome war results in the old gods' departure from earth. The only remnants of their existence lie in two girls. Twins, separated at birth. Goddesses who grow up believing that they are human. Daughters Of Nri explores their epic journey of self-discovery as they embark on a path back to one another.
6 of 8When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
This is the first memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors, one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement. It's one of those crucial reads that you'll struggle to forget about any time soon, which is a good thing, trust us. It tells the story of the movement and the people who survived the years of that prompted it.
7 of 8Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams
A darkly comic and unflinchingly raw depiction of a young woman trying to navigate her way in the world, QUEENIE is about identity, independence and carving your own path
8 of 8Slay In Your Lane: The Journal
With Slay in Your Lane Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke started a national conversation. Now they want you to join them in making changes. Packed full of practical exercises, worksheets, questionnaires and actionable tips, Slay in Your Lane: The Journal will help you get ahead in everything from relationships to starting a successful side hustle, building your personal brand, knowing your worth at work, finances, self-care, and health.
*Forgotten Women: The Leaders *and Forgotten Women: The Scientist are available now
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.