Florence White was born in Peckham and grew up in South London. She wrote the classic and highly influential Good Things in England, a manifesto for the merits of English cookery. In 1926 she set up the English Folk Cookery Association to further ensure that traditional recipes which had been passed down, but not in written form, were not lost. Her book is still one of the most important primary sources for those interested in English culinary history.

Nominations for London blue plaques are open from mid-May to mid-July. Currently around 85% of the 900-plus plaques commemorate men, but English Heritage is keen to increase the number of blue plaques for women, although it says women's names comprise only one-third of the public nominations - somehow the maths does not add up. Amy Levy, novelist, poet, and essayist, will be included in our list. 

It is quite remarkable that Marghanita Laski (above) is not commemorated with a blue plaque at Capo di Monte where she lived from 1949 to 1988. Not only was she a marvellous novelist and well-known TV and radio personality, she also contributed "about a quarter of a million slips to the OED, making her the single most productive volunteer during the course of the Dictionary’s history".  

We have London's blue plaques on the Post this week. Or, rather, blue plaques which are not there but we feel should be. Several of our authors do have plaques (eg Winifred Holtby, Katherine Mansfield), but why, for example, does Noel Streatfeild (above) not? She went to RADA, set Ballet Shoes (1936) in a house on the Cromwell Road where she lived, and 'lived a busy London literary life'. In addition to her novels for adults, her contribution to children's literature is immeasurable, and deserves recognition. 

Dorothy Whipple's work was one of the overarching themes of the weekend, not only because of the range and humanity of her writing, but also because of the sheer reading pleasure it gives. We have now published her eight novels, two volumes of her short stories, and two volumes of her memoirs. We hope that the many lively, appreciative discussions and conversations about her at the Festival were a fitting tribute.

The Persephone Festival created a temporary but powerful network of individual readers, and an opportunity to discuss shared literary passions. The three days of talks and conversations were a reminder of the range and importance of the 'domestic feminism' which underpins our list of 150 titles. (The article which explains this can be found and read online in the latest Persephone Biannually.) 

The Festival took place against the backdrop of the glorious architecture of Bath built with pale Bath stone which has weathered beautifully; this is The Circus (1754-69), designed by John Wood the Elder. Jane Austen lived in Bath from 1801 to 1806, but there are many more literary connections to be enjoyed here. Many Festival-goers followed the recently updated Persephone Map which details forty-seven writers who at some point lived in Bath.