A Calculated Attempt to Escape Prejudice
History has recorded several female writers who took the bold step of adopting male or masculine nom de plumes, or otherwise a phenomenon characterized by the usage of gender-ambiguous pseudonyms. Some of the examples that can be cited in this context are-
1. Currer Bell (Charlotte Bronte)
2. JK Rowling (Joanne Rowling)
3. George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)
4. A.M. Barnard (Louisa May Alcott)
A pen name can be a complicated thing- while it can conveniently be used in order to circumnavigate various gendered expectations, it can most likely also prove to be a means of safeguarding anonymity, crafting an authentic public persona or even an alter ego, and avoiding expectations of racial and ancestral heritage.
It also reflected a whole perspective of centuries of patriarchal oppression.
Authoresses were looked at through the lens of prejudice because certain modes and styles of writing were not considered as ‘feminine’. Hence, they preferred to keep their original identities hidden just to publish freely even in male dominated circles.
A Desire to Be Taken Seriously
Mary Ann Evans’ partner and manager George Evans went on record to say that she took this step so that her works are judged by its content and quality and not stereotypes that mostly accompany works curated by female writers. They simply yearned to be published, reviewed and received fairly.
It can be seen as a covert endeavor to level the playing field and make sure that their voices are heard and not ignored.
A Desire to Be Taken Seriously
Mary Ann Evans’ partner and manager George Evans went on record to say that she took this step so that her works are judged by its content and quality and not stereotypes that mostly accompany works curated by female writers. They simply yearned to be published, reviewed and received fairly.
It can be seen as a covert endeavor to level the playing field and make sure that their voices are heard and not ignored.
They were basically a way of avoiding gender bias in a world that constantly favored men and sidelined women by discrediting their choices which in turn curtailed their freedom to pursue whatever they liked.
Usage of pen names also helped them in reaching out to certain segments of the market that would have otherwise been far from their influence.
Usage of pen names also helped them in reaching out to certain segments of the market that would have otherwise been far from their influence.
A large chunk of the crowd might not even bother reading books that advertise a female author on the display irrespective of the talent and creativity possessed by the same writer.
The 'Reclaim Her Name' Campaign
Diageo brand Baileys of UK in collaboration with The Women's Prize for Fiction, launched a new and unique campaign with an aim to shine a light upon all such female writers, it was titled 'Reclaim her Name.' It was a great effort to give a much awaited credit to female authors for all their fabulous classics.
Reclaim Her Name' saw a wide collection of roughly twenty five classic novels, which were previously published under the name of male pseudonyms had been re-released with the author’s original names on the book’s cover.
The option to download the books in the e-book format was free of cost in order to encourage reading.
It was also argued that choosing a distinct name is an extremely important expression and representation of agency and reversing this decision by using another name sans the author’s consent and input deprives the authors of that agency.
It was also argued that choosing a distinct name is an extremely important expression and representation of agency and reversing this decision by using another name sans the author’s consent and input deprives the authors of that agency.
Nevertheless, it introduced readers to a great deal of new authors and works.
Does The World Still View Male and Female Authors Equally?
Within a social structure which was as historically patriarchal and male dominated as ours, men had already been recognized as accomplished writers by the time girls and women were allowed to take up the pen (given their rights and privileges with respect to education).
Does The World Still View Male and Female Authors Equally?
Within a social structure which was as historically patriarchal and male dominated as ours, men had already been recognized as accomplished writers by the time girls and women were allowed to take up the pen (given their rights and privileges with respect to education).
This in itself is quite self-explanatory as to why women had to fight a long battle for recognition.
But the million dollar question is- Is this battle over yet? Can we find women using pseudonyms on their books for the same reasons as their predecessors? The answer is, sadly, yes.
But the million dollar question is- Is this battle over yet? Can we find women using pseudonyms on their books for the same reasons as their predecessors? The answer is, sadly, yes.
Women are still grossly underrepresented in parameters of markers of appreciation and prestige in publishing- The number of awards received by them and the extent of reviews they’re given.
JK Rowling is one of the most recent examples of this affirmation. Her much celebrated series Harry Potter was released under a pseudonym. Rowling’s publisher Barry Cunningham suggested that it was realized early on in the process that young boys could be wary of a novel created by a woman.
Although the publishing gender gap has narrowed down with time but it still exists in certain shapes and forms. It has been noticed that men in the industry are paid more than the women in the industry, which highlights a wage gap in this profession along with several others.
JK Rowling is one of the most recent examples of this affirmation. Her much celebrated series Harry Potter was released under a pseudonym. Rowling’s publisher Barry Cunningham suggested that it was realized early on in the process that young boys could be wary of a novel created by a woman.
Although the publishing gender gap has narrowed down with time but it still exists in certain shapes and forms. It has been noticed that men in the industry are paid more than the women in the industry, which highlights a wage gap in this profession along with several others.
We Still Have a Long Way to Go
Quoting the legendary feminist writer Virginia Woolf "For most of history, Anonymous was a woman" such examples give us a lookback and serves as a reminder of how restrictive the society used to be and how women had to combat those norms and would use such kind of tricks to still shine and gain popularity.
Book publishing should never be seen as a competition or rivalry between genders.
The industry is and should continue to be all about looking for a marketable and well-written story by a writer whose opinion as well as viewpoint deserves to be voiced out loud regardless of any kind of gender binary.
It is also important to understand that we, as a society play a vital role in the shaping up of such a patriarchal social structure. If people were not stereotypical against women, authors wouldn’t have to go for pseudonyms; it’s as simple as that.
It is also important to understand that we, as a society play a vital role in the shaping up of such a patriarchal social structure. If people were not stereotypical against women, authors wouldn’t have to go for pseudonyms; it’s as simple as that.
Therefore, it’s high time that we make an effort to bring a much needed transition in the mindset of the people and give women their due.
Written by - Isha Singh
Written by - Isha Singh
Edited by - Sandhya R
.jpeg)
0 Comments