Bidisha

Bidisha runs writers' retreats. She reports that the women who attend struggle to carve out the time and psychological space for their work

Stella Duffy's first historical novel tells the story of Theodora's rise from the stage to co-ruler of Constantinople, says Bidisha, without glossing over her restricted agency

Novelist Maggie Gee deals with the familiar subject-matter of family life and struggling artist, but Bidisha finds the results far from ordinary