In this talk, Sally Smith covers some of the extraordinary circumstances and journeys made by pioneering women featured in her latest book, The Women Who Went Round the World – the women who were the very first to achieve a full circumnavigation by sea, land and finally by air.

Starting in 1767, Sally explains the extraordinary story of Jeanne Baret who broke the law to travel on a French government ship and the drama that ensued when she discovered the Bougainvillea plant in Brazil, and goes on to cover a range of astonishing, breathtaking and sometimes funny stories, including the woman who slept with freshly cut heads in Sarawak and the charming Edwardian lady who, in 1901, sat on the floor of a wooden carriage and rattled across the very first rail track to cross Siberia, no idea that the Boxer rising was about to explode ahead of her. She managed to get through to (unintentionally) become the very first woman to go round the world by train.

The stories continue, with the highly entertaining story of Harriet White fisher, the first woman to drive around the world, who managed to pick up a monkey and two dogs on her wonderful voyage, right up to the drama and romance of Lady Drummond Hay on an airship when she became the first to circle the world by air in 1929 and the fascinating background of Valentina Tereshkova and her early life in rural Russia before, in 1963, she became the first woman to circle the world in space.

Sally’s talk gives a fascinating glimpse into not just the personal lives and journeys of these groundbreaking women, but also offers a fascinating glimpse into society at very different times in history. The talk is about one hour long and is supported by various slides.