Antonia Byatt was born in Durham on 13th April 1960 and is Director of The Women’s Library at London Metropolitan University, the biggest and oldest collection of women’s history in the UK. Previously the Fawcett Library, the library received a Heritage Lottery grant in 1998 to build a new building for the collection. Antonia arrived in 2000 to launch the new Library together with a new public programme of exhibitions and events and to develop new audiences for the collections. Visitors to the collections have risen by 700%, and the public success of the Library has shown that women’s issues are still central to contemporary society. While contintuing to be an international resource for scholars the Library is now used by a high proportion of young people and students, as well as local women from the surrounding boroughs – Tower Hamlets in particular. A considerable amount of funding has been raised for the Library during that period (over £8m). Antonia is very proud to follow in a distinguished line of women who have dedicated themselves to building the library and promoting women’s place in history. The stories of the women documented in the Library are inspirational and illuminate the determination of a strong line of female campaigers.

Antonia previously worked at The South Bank Centre running the successful literature and talks programme as well as having over all responsibility for another important collection – The Poetry Library. She has also worked at the Arts Council of England. Antonia has three children and a partner in London.

The Women’s Library works in partnerships with many other organisations to produce its programme of exhibitions and events. In 2006 we will be celebrating the centenary of the Victorian campaigner Josephine Butler by highlighting issues around trafficking and prostitution.