The latest incarnation of State Library Victoria’s landmark rare book exhibition World of the Book is now open, unveiling its largest-ever tribute to women writers alongside hundreds of literary treasures drawn from the State Collection.
The free exhibition features more than 400 rare works, including over 120 titles by influential female authors acquired through the Library’s Women Writers Fund. Many of the works are on public display for the first time, highlighting five years of work to address the historical underrepresentation of women in the collection.
Among the standout additions is a first edition of Jane Austen’s Emma from 1816, preserved in its original Regency-era binding and featuring a dedication to the Prince Regent, widely believed to have been one of Austen’s greatest admirers. The volume is displayed alongside rare editions of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion, tracing Austen’s journey from anonymous novelist to literary icon.
State Library Victoria Director of Collections and Chief Librarian Roxanne Missingham said the exhibition marks an important milestone for the collection.
“The Women Writers Fund has made an outstanding contribution to redress a serious imbalance in the Library’s collection. In 5 years the extensive and significant work by influential donors and Library staff has brought a world class collection of works by women writers to Victoria of which we are justly proud. This is a major step in transforming the collection to remedy the historical underrepresentation of women writers in the 19th- and 20th-century.”
Missingham added that the exhibition also celebrates the Fund’s very first acquisition.
“The Fund’s first ever purchase, A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, will be displayed in a space intentionally designed to celebrate extraordinary women writers. Renowned authors such as Jane Austen, Octavia Butler and Charlotte and Emily Brontë will also be on show, alongside women in science, philosophy, politics, and literature. We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the contribution of women to knowledge and culture throughout history.”
Other highlights include Melbourne’s first international publishing sensation The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, miniature and movable books, feminist children’s publishing, early Australian comics, punk fanzines, artists’ books and centuries-old amulets and almanacs.
World of the Book has become Australia’s longest-running and most visited book exhibition, drawing huge crowds to the library’s iconic Dome Galleries with hundreds of rare and historic works spanning thousands of years.
Each edition is completely reimagined, bringing together treasures from the State Collection ranging from ancient cuneiform tablets dating back to 2050 BCE through to modern literature and illustrated works.
Located on Level 4 overlooking the iconic La Trobe Reading Room, World of the Book is open until May 2027.
