My Own Story (1914) is a memoir by English political activist and
suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. Written at the onset of the First World
War,
My Own Story brings attention to Pankhurst's cause while defending her
decision to cease activism until the end of the war. Notable for its
descriptions of the British prison system, My Own Story is an
invaluable document of a life dedicated to others, of a historical
moment in which an oppressed group rose up to advocate for the simplest
of demands: equality.
Born in a politically active household, Emmeline Pankhurst was
introduced to the women's suffrage movement at a young age. In 1903, she
founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), an organization
dedicated to the suffragette movement. As their speeches, rallies, and
petitions failed to make headway, they turned to militant protest, and
in 1908 Emmeline was arrested for attempting to enter Parliament to
deliver a document to Prime Minister H.H. Asquith. Imprisoned for six
weeks, she observed the horrifying conditions of prison life, including
solitary confinement. This experience changed her outlook on the
struggle for women's suffrage, and she increasingly saw imprisonment as
a means of radical publicity. Over the next several years, she would be
arrested seven times for rioting, destroying property, and assaulting
police officers, and while in prison staged hunger strikes in order to
gain the attention of the press and political establishment. My Own
Story is a record of one woman's tireless advocacy for the sake of
countless others.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Emmeline Pankhurst's My Own Story is a classic of
English literature reimagined for modern readers.
