Annabelle Hirsch

Annabelle Hirsch

Annabelle Hirsch, born in 1986, has German and French roots. She studied art history, dramatics and philosophy in Munich and Paris, and works as a cultural journalist for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) and various other magazines. She writes short stories and translates French literature. She lives between Rome and Berlin.

Eleanor Updegraff was born in London and studied English Literature, German and Russian at Durham University. She is a literary translator and author, ghostwriter and editor, and reviews books for various publications online and in print. She has lived in Vienna since 2015.



Listen to an extract from A History of Women in 101 Objects: ‘Knife’, read by Samin Nosrat.

Listen to an extract from A History of Women in 101 Objects: ‘Dish With the likeness of Roxelana’, read by Elif Shafak.

Listen to an extract from A History of Women in 101 Objects: ‘The Hatpin’, read by Helena Bonham-Carter.

Listen to an extract from A History of Women in 101 Objects: ‘Sappho Papyrus’, read by Jackie Kay.

Listen to an extract from A History of Women in 101 Objects: ‘15 Malleus Maleficarum’, read by Margaret Atwood.

An extract from the first chapter of A History of Women in 101 Objects: ‘Healed femur’, read by Gillian Anderson.

The hardback of the book is available now, the audiobook will be published on 5 March 2024, featuring 101 notable women including Margaret Atwood, Olivia Colman, Elif Shafak and more still to be announced. Canongate will donate a portion of the sales of the audiobook to Refuge, supporting women and their children experiencing domestic abuse.

Listen to an extract from A History of Women in 101 Objects: ‘The Bidet’ as read by Olivia Colman