Posthumous Works of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

What it is

This is a collection of Mary Wollstonecraft's writings published in 1798, the year after her death, edited by her husband William Godwin. It was printed in London and includes letters and unfinished fragments from her life, including letters to Gilbert Imlay written during her time in France.

Why it matters

Because Wollstonecraft died shortly after giving birth to her daughter Mary (later Mary Shelley), this collection, along with Godwin's accompanying memoir, became one of the main sources for understanding her private thoughts and experiences. It shows how her husband shaped the public memory of her life and writing after her death.

Look closer

• Why might a husband's decision to publish his wife's private letters be controversial?
• What can personal letters tell historians that published books cannot?
• How might Godwin's choices about what to include have shaped how later readers saw Wollstonecraft?