The Virago Book of Christmas [Hardcover]

'Sparkling collection.the perfect antidote to the usual festive fare' WHAT'S ON 'Will bring a conspiratorial smile to those whose Christmases are nothing short of a disaster' PUNCH.CO.UK 'You will find everthing that is both magical and miserable about Christmas in these extracts from some of the best women writers of the past 200 years' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'Just what every non-superwoman could do with this yuletide -- will make you cackle wickedly' EXPRESS

‘A seasonal collection of letters, diaries and stories to put you in the festive mood.’

‘Sparkling collection of stories, poems and vignettes. The perfect antidote to the usual festive fare.’

‘Will bring a conspiratorial smile to those whose Christmases are nothing short of a disaster.’

"Use it as a chance to breathe in-between checking the turkey and putting the sprouts onto boil... ****"

"exactly what you'd want to consume after a heavy Christmas lunch: sweet without being sickly, sharp without being sour."

"If it's a festive read packed to the brim with wonderful memories and recollections you're looking for then this is the perfect Christmas book."

"The Virago Book of Christmas is just what every non-superwoman could do with this yuletide."

Christmas began with a good but harassed woman giving birth in difficult domestic circumstances. Somewhere between then and now the circumstances have changed, but for women today, Christmas is still a time of joys garnered against the odds. We have moved on from stables and mangers to supermarkets and microwaves, and instead of palm fronds, shepherds and lambs we have a fat red-suited man, a spangled conifer and well-stuffed stockings. In this anthology, reflecting the experiences of more than 50 women at Christmas, Jenny Eclair rubs shoulders with Agatha Christie, George Sand, Sue Townsend, Stella Gibbons, Clare Boylan and others. The volume aims to give full reign to the seditious humour, discomforts and exquisite social tortures of the season.

Born in Australia, Michelle Lovric is of Yugoslavian and Irish descent. The compiler of internationally bestselling anthologies for Past Times, The British Museum and many other publishers, she lives in London and Venice.