The Works of Mary Leapor

Mary Leapor (1722-1746) was the kitchen-maid daughter of a Northamptonshire gardener. In the past 15 years, her works have been recovered from deep obscurity and she has been widely recognized as possibly the most important woman poet of the eighteenth century. This new edition, the first in 250 years, provides an accurate text of all her known works, including prose and drama. The volume has a substantial introduction summarizing all that is known of her life and providing an over-view of current scholarship. It also provides textual notes and detailed commentary on individual works. This long-anticipated edition is expected to become a landmark in eighteenth-century studies.

Review:

The fact of Leapor's importance as a poet is increasingly hard to question... This edition, like Janet Todd's of Behn, should help propel Leapor into deserved canonicity. Studies in English Literature 1500-1900