To be a woman with a pen in your hand has always been an act of daring. For these women, holding their pen was on a different level, as they began to pave the way to the literary landscape we see today. 

This time last year I was actually on the receiving end of a list that made my 2018. I was mentioned by Melinda Gates as one of six women in science to watch, so I know first-hand the impact of a good list. So, in celebration of International Women’s Day, the following is my list of six science superstars set to change our world. 

Frideswide was clearly a remarkable young woman, who overcame formidable challenges. Yet while overseas visitors to Oxford encounter her story, through a glowing stained glass window by Edward Burne-Jones near the saint’s medieval shrine, not many local people know it.  

Sparked by a question I posed to a friend – whether he could name me five female directors (only to realise that I was hard-pressed to reel off five names myself) I started to look deeper into how much women have helped to shape a medium I adore so much.