author
Cicely Hamilton
1872–1952
A playwright, novelist, journalist, and campaigner for women’s rights, she used sharp wit and popular drama to challenge the limits placed on women in Edwardian Britain. Her work blends social criticism with lively storytelling, and she remains especially remembered for her role in the suffrage movement.
3 Audiobooks
Marriage as a Trade
by Cicely Hamilton
William—An Englishman
by Cicely Hamilton
Theodore Savage: A Story of the Past or the Future
by Cicely Hamilton
About the author
Born in London on June 15, 1872, Cicely Hamilton built a remarkably varied career as an actress, writer, journalist, and feminist activist. She wrote fiction, travel writing, essays, and plays, bringing a clear, accessible voice to questions about women’s work, independence, and everyday social life.
She became an important figure in the campaign for women’s suffrage in Britain. Hamilton helped found the Women Writers' Suffrage League and was closely involved with the Actresses' Franchise League. Her best-known works include Marriage as a Trade, a forceful critique of the economic pressures shaping women’s lives, and the popular suffrage play How the Vote Was Won, written with Christopher St John.
Hamilton also wrote the novel William—An Englishman, which is often noted for its response to the First World War. She died in London on December 6, 1952, but her writing still stands out for its intelligence, humor, and determination to connect politics with ordinary life.