Here at Starburst Towers we receive invitations to a broad range of events. One of the most unexpected is the In Her Own Words Exhibition, currently being held at the Mayfair branch of Peter Harrington Books.

As the name suggests, a selection of female-authored books and related items are on display, and the range of subjects covered is astonishing, covering arts, science, politics and history amongst others.

A lavishly illustrated catalogue details all 179 items, of which around 60 have been curated into a display of particularly noteworthy items. What has made it to display includes a first edition of Mary Shelley’s first book – History of a Six Week’s Tour, as well as a three-volume first edition of her Valperga, with a portion of a handwritten letter from Shelley herself nestled between them. On the opposite wall Jocelyn Bell’s co-authored first edition Observation of a Rapidly Pulsating Radio Source takes pride of place, just along from a copy of Rosalind Franklin’s paper on DNA. This is a fascinating display, open to the public until March 15th, and well worth perhaps an hour of your time if you’re at a loose end in London.

Peter Harrington Antiquated Books can be found at 43 Dover Street, Mayfair, W1S 4FF, and is open Monday to Friday 10 am to 7pm, and on Saturdays from 10am to 6pm. For more information, visit www.peterharrington.co.uk