‘Reading is a right, a privilege and a pleasure that women have had to fight for. The shared bookshelf reminds us that we still must.’ Margo Jefferson

Our Women’s Library is one of the few parts of Compton Verney to have survived intact from the nineteenth century. Created around 1860 by Georgiana Verney, who was mistress of Compton Verney and a champion of women’s reading, education and suffrage, today it is a space for discovery and reflection. In the spirit of Georgiana, each year we invite guest curators to choose a selection of books they have found inspirational or enjoyable to fill the shelves, all of which are available to buy in our shop.