Helena Wojtczak
Encyclopedia
Helena Wojtczak (born 1958, Sussex
) is a British researcher and author of women's history books, and owner of The Hastings Press.
for five years, then returning to her native county in 1992. She holds a BSc
Honours degree in the Social Sciences (majoring in Psychology) and Social History.
Wojtczak has written five books on women's history including Women of Victorian Sussex, which Tony Benn
described as "well researched, scholarly and immensely readable", and has created a website called Women of Hastings and St Leonards – a social history containing many details about life for women in a typical English south coast town in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and is currently creating another, about The Women's Suffrage Movement.
Wojtczak gives talks and lectures in local women's history and the history of women workers on the railways, and is an associate tutor in women's history for the University of Sussex
. She has also run a series of self publishing seminars.
At the age of 19 Wojtczak became the first woman employed as a guard by British Rail
. In connection with this, Wojtczak has written about her experiences of railway recruitment and training.
Working in the industry led Wojtczak to research, write and then to publish the history of Railwaywomen – a task that took her 16 years. The book was launched at the House of Commons, at the TUC
Conference 2005 and at the National Railway Museum
. It has received considerable acclaim, and has won the 2007 David St John Thomas
Trust non-fiction book award.
Now Britain's foremost authority on the history of women railway workers, she has been consultant historian to the National Railway Museum and a contributor to The Oxford Companion to British Railway History.
Wojtczak has written for the Oxford University Press
, the Hastings Press, the TSSA
, the RMT
, My Weekly
, Hunter House Publishers
, the Hastings & St Leonards Observer, The Warrior magazine, P3 Publishing (Steam Railways), The Victorian Web
and Encyclopaedia Titanica.
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
) is a British researcher and author of women's history books, and owner of The Hastings Press.
Biography
Wojtczak grew up in London, where she spent 22 years before moving to KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
for five years, then returning to her native county in 1992. She holds a BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
Honours degree in the Social Sciences (majoring in Psychology) and Social History.
Wojtczak has written five books on women's history including Women of Victorian Sussex, which Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
described as "well researched, scholarly and immensely readable", and has created a website called Women of Hastings and St Leonards – a social history containing many details about life for women in a typical English south coast town in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and is currently creating another, about The Women's Suffrage Movement.
Wojtczak gives talks and lectures in local women's history and the history of women workers on the railways, and is an associate tutor in women's history for the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
. She has also run a series of self publishing seminars.
At the age of 19 Wojtczak became the first woman employed as a guard by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
. In connection with this, Wojtczak has written about her experiences of railway recruitment and training.
Working in the industry led Wojtczak to research, write and then to publish the history of Railwaywomen – a task that took her 16 years. The book was launched at the House of Commons, at the TUC
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
Conference 2005 and at the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
. It has received considerable acclaim, and has won the 2007 David St John Thomas
David St John Thomas
David St John Thomas is an English publisher and writer. He is the father of music maestro David St Thomas.- Early life and career :...
Trust non-fiction book award.
Now Britain's foremost authority on the history of women railway workers, she has been consultant historian to the National Railway Museum and a contributor to The Oxford Companion to British Railway History.
Wojtczak has written for the Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, the Hastings Press, the TSSA
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association
The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association is a trade union for "white collar" workers in the transport industry in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland...
, the RMT
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers is a trade union in the United Kingdom which unionises transport workers. It has more than 80,000 members, and its current general secretary is Bob Crow...
, My Weekly
My Weekly
My Weekly is a magazine for women in the 45-and-over age bracket, published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd of Dundee, Scotland. It tends to consist of short stories, reader contributions, knitting or sewing patterns, and celebrity gossip....
, Hunter House Publishers
Hunter House Publishers
Hunter House Publishers is a publishing company based in Alameda, California which was established in 1978.It is a small publishing press "specializing in self-help books about health, relationships, abuse and sexuality."...
, the Hastings & St Leonards Observer, The Warrior magazine, P3 Publishing (Steam Railways), The Victorian Web
Victorian Web
The Victorian Web is an online resource of information about the Victorian Era created at Brown University and at the University Scholars Program of the National University of Singapore....
and Encyclopaedia Titanica.