The discussion began in the early months of 2012. Having decided what we did not want to call our nascent business, the somewhat more challenging task of creating not just a name but an identity hove into view. We knew we didn’t want a pun on books or reading, and we didn’t want some portmanteau blend of our co-founder names. Suggestions were made and rejected.

Women have been writing memoirs since the 14th century, most notably Julian of Norwich (1342), Margery Kempe (1373) and French Princess Margaret of Valois (1553). The autobiographical memoir was a format that allowed them to use their voices in spaces that banned them from speaking.