About the project

"Mary Wollstonecraft warrants a memorial, not only as the foremost pioneer of women's rights but also as an upholder of domestic affections and anti-war values - an alternative to the exercise of power through greed and aggression." Lyndall Gordon, author of Vindication: A Life of Mary Wollstonecraft

Despite the significance of Mary Wollstonecraft's life and work, there has never been a public memorial statue of her anywhere. The location of her home in Newington Green, London, where her radical ideas about women's equality, education and politics were first formed, seems a logical place for a permanent memorial to such an important and influential woman. Through public and private funding, a dedicated group of Mary Wollstonecraft enthusiasts and local area supporters are planning to commission a statue that will be erected in a prominent area of the refurbished green. The call for submissions will begin in May 2011 and it is hoped that unveiling will take place in the spring of 2013.

The project is being spearheaded by the Newington Green Action Group (NGAG), a registered charity that was formed in 1996 to revitalise the green and the surrounding area. This award-winning group completed the revitalisation of Newington Green in 2005 and now endeavours to maintain their improvements and support further developement work of benefit to the community.