Literary scholar Ramie Targoff uncovers the forgotten female authors of the English Renaissance.

Most people have heard of the great English playwright William Shakespeare, even if they have never studied him or read any of his works.

When it comes to famous female authors, even historians struggle to remember the names of prominent Renaissance women.

Knowing the constraints women faced in the Elizabethan era, we often assume they weren't given the chance to cultivate their talents.

Ramie Targoff is an American author, literary scholar, and the Jehuda Reinharz Professor of the Humanities at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

In her 2024 book Shakespeare's Sisters, Targoff explores the lives of four Renaissance women who managed to write great poetry, plays, translations, and memoirs despite the gender restrictions of their time.