The story of the Victorian poet, artist, designer and campaigner William Morris has been widely documented. Less well-known is the life of his wife, Jane.
In her new book, Suzanne Fagence Cooper tries to redress the balance, arguing that the couple’s creative and emotional partnership was the central pivot to their lives. The homes Jane and William made together - such as the Red House, Kelmscott Manor - were not just works of art but also physical expressions of their joint belief that life should be focused on beauty and fulfilment.
As those who heard her talk about Ruskin at the 2019 Festival know, Suzanne Fagence Cooper is an engaging, accessible and fiercely intelligent speaker - a superb explainer of what made the Victorians great. 

About the author

Dr Suzanne Fagence Cooper is a writer, curator, historical consultant and lecturer working on 19th- and 20th-century arts and culture. She was a curator and Research Fellow at the V&A Museum for 12 years. She has also worked on film and television and was historical consultant to Ralph Fiennes for The Invisible Man, his film about Charles Dickens.

Copies of Suzanne Fagence Cooper's book How We Might Live are available here.