OPEN LETTERS

Dear Woman Who ‘Roused’ London, Sylvia Pankhurst

My writing #ChooseToChallenge for International Women’s Day

8th March 1956 Dear Sylvia,

The name is Blythe Balker-Meade (Master Actor). I’m writing to you today with a deep appreciation of the lines you have crossed in the name of equality, and you are happily enjoying retired life there in Addis Ababa, so I shalt keep you long.

I have been a fierce admirer of you ever since seeing you as a young girl when I saw you in Trafalgar Square, protesting against British policy in India in 1932. You really couldn’t care less about the higher status of who you were addressing, only that what you knew had to be said was said with intention — and heard from streets away.

It was the first time I had witnessed a woman throwing her entire force into getting their message across. And you made damn sure it was. Until your face was swollen red. Even when you were carted off by armed police, you didn’t stop yelling.

At that moment I thought you could have put the ‘rage’ in ‘suffragette’.

The strength of your actions and words resonated in tandem.

I also couldn’t help but overhear a secret discussion you had with another party member before the entire ordeal. Before I even knew who you were. The other woman, also clad in very shapeless and military-like attire, asked what you thought of women who went to balls and “fancy dinners”. Looking back now, your response could have told me everything I needed to know about you there and then.

“Women who give their lives to such things . . . ought to be swept off the face of the earth. I would love . . . to do the sweeping.”

As soon as my reading improved, I was immediately gripped by The Suffragette The History of the Women’s Militant Suffrage Movement and The Suffragette Movement: An Intimate Account of Persons and Ideals. I have now read them both page for page — and more than once.

I have a question for you, Sylvia… It seems to me that you devote every waking moment of your life to worthwhile pursuits. Ruling out your work supporting Ethiopia, when was the last time you took a holiday? I mean, a real one? Do you find such leisurely activities largely pointless in the grander scheme of what was happening at the time? Has that changed now? You used to be known as ‘Estelle’ before you dropped it completely… What really made you want to do that? Do your siblings still call you by that name? Did your mother also, before she passed? What’s the weather like in Addis Ababa right now? What’s your favourite colour? Mine’s Turquoise. What are you writing at the moment? What are you reading at the moment? Would you like to join my women’s book club? WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE PEN FRIENDS!?

…Ahem… apologies, Sylvia for that outburst. I get carried away with myself sometimes…

Anyway… I have been cast as the lead in a brand new production, ‘The Rouser of London’. That’s right. It’s a play dedicated to your life. From becoming a suffragist at the Manchester High School for Girls, right up to today as you report your life in the Ethiopian Observer. This could be it; my big break!

You will always be known to me as the woman who ‘roused’ London. And it would mean the world that you honour me and all of those involved in the production with a visit to the London Palladium here in the bustling Oxford Circus on opening night: the 8th of May, 1956. We will of course arrange for all travel and lodgings. Rest assured, the expenses of your entire trip will be paid for by our production team.

I do hope the contents of this letter have roused — see what I did there? — feelings of unequivocal accomplishment for all you have done for working-class Britain, for gender equality, for anti-fascism, for anti-colonialism and for womenkind.

Anyway, I must dash. Have a visit from mum — … I mean, a very important meeting with my talent agent.

Yours in spirit — and soon in body, Blythe Balker-Meade… The Third (Master Actor)

A bit about Blythe Balker-Meade

Blythe has a hard time writing letters due to her incessant need to prove herself. She has given herself the title of ‘Master Actor’, despite the fact that she had not yet appeared in any productions. Within the dialogue of her letter, she grappled between the need to prove she is the seasoned professional she aspires to be and the overwhelming urge to be the naive supporter of the esteemed public figure she was writing to.

Ultimately, the message of appreciation for Sylvia Pankhurst shone through both her delusions of grandeur and outbursts of overfamiliarity.

This production of ‘The Rouser of London’ was in fact her big break. And — spoiler alert — Sylvia does attend opening night. It taught Blythe a great lesson in self-acceptance.

Whether she is in it for the illustrious title or the pure appreciation for her craft, Blythe still continued to live an unapologetic life in pursuit of her acting dreams.

On a serious note, if you would like to find out more about the truly inspirational woman that was Sylvia Pankhurst, then this insightful article would be your best bet. It brings to light the parts of Sylvia’s life preceding her infamy as a suffragette and hardcore feminist socialist with aid of her definitive biography.

I set a writing challenge as part of this year’s #ChooseToChallenge theme for International Women’s Day. This open letter is my entry. If you enjoyed reading this and would like to take part yourself, then click below and find out more. Even if you publish your story after the 8th of March, do participate, as it will mean that one more person has taken time to recognise the value of one more woman who isn’t being forgotten throughout time.

Are you a writer looking for your tribe? Love to read? Want full access to Medium? I’ve got you covered.

Join my free newsletter for exclusive personal growth posts. 🌱