How, exactly, does a woman ‘slip’ out of history?
From THIS IS HISTORY — IN CONVERSATION by Sony Music Entertainment
April 21, 2026 · 40 min · Season 9 · Episode 16
About this episode
This episode explores the historical omissions of women's contributions through the lives of Hatshepsut, Joanna Ferrour, and Ada Lovelace.
What would you do if your life was omitted, reduced to an overlooked footnote, or filed away as an anomaly? In this episode, Dan and Elizabeth turn a lens on the practice of history itself, interrogating the choices and power structures that have traditionally left women out of the history books. They retrace the lives of three women who once stood firmly in their moment: Hatshepsut, a pharaoh who consolidated power in Ancient Egypt; Joanna Ferrour, a peasant whose voice briefly direct the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381; and Ada Lovelace, a Victorian thinker whose ideas arrived well before the world was ready for them. Each was successful in their time. And yet each of their world-changing contributions were quietly edited out, only to be rediscovered generations — or even millennia later. So what does it mean when the practice of history fails to record the world as it was? And what happens when history’s failures reveal themselves, much later, as triumphs to a new generation? – As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime on the royal court on Patreon at patreon.com/thisishistory. And don’t forget to listen to this season’s accompanying bonus episodes for this miniseries…
People in this episode
Hosts: Dan, Elizabeth
Topics covered
- women in history
- historical omissions
- power structures
- feminist history
- historical figures
- historical narratives
Keywords
- history
- women
- Hatshepsut
- Joanna Ferrour
- Ada Lovelace
- historical narrative
- feminism
More episodes of THIS IS HISTORY — IN CONVERSATION
- S10 E9 | Kidnap · July 21, 2026 · 35 min
- S10 E8 | No Mercy · July 14, 2026 · 33 min
- S10 E7 | The Tribute Act · July 7, 2026 · 34 min
- S10 E6 | The Prophecy · June 30, 2026 · 32 min
- S10 E5 | King Henry’s Second Coming · June 23, 2026 · 32 min
- S10 E4 | The Kingmaker Strikes Back · June 16, 2026 · 30 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the THIS IS HISTORY — IN CONVERSATION podcast page.