大象传媒

Today鈥檚 Memory Taper is Emily Barr a writer based in Truro, whose novel, The One Memory of Flora Banks, has just been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize.

She says: 鈥淭hese are all wonderful songs by brilliant women, incredibly different from each other. I played classical music when I was younger - I played the cello and did music A-Level, and I remember wondering 鈥榳here, oh where?鈥� the female composers were. It can't really be the case that every 鈥榞enius鈥� is a man, but you do have to look very hard to find women in the classical canon.

Since then I鈥檝e always looked out for music by women, and I started putting this playlist together when I realised how easy it is to slip into listening to nothing but men. These songs range from Karen O to Nina Simone to Charlotte Bray (a wonderful classical composer who鈥檚 writing exciting things right now).

This collection of music puts a spring in my step when I鈥檓 writing and editing. I love the punch of Kate Tempest, the exhilaration of Say a Little Prayer, the nostalgia that Tom鈥檚 Diner makes me feel. As a writer I spend a lot of time at home on my own, and sometimes you need motivation. These women inspire me endlessly."

Music By Inspiring Women:
Suzanne - Nina Simone
A New England - Kirsty MacColl
The Moon Song - Karen O
Skeletons - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I Heard It Through the Grapevine - The Slits
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Patti Smith
Cupid - Amy Winehouse
Paper Planes - M.I.A.
My Lovin鈥� - En Vogue
Big Time Sensuality - Bj枚rk
Caught in Treetops Part II - Charlotte Bray
Digital Witness - St Vincent
Take Another Little Piece of My Heart - Dusty Springfield
Atomic - Blondie
The Beigeness - Kate Tempest
The Sound of War - Susanne Sundf酶r
I鈥檓 A Fool to Want You - Billie Holiday
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
I Say A Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
Ex-Factor - Lauryn Hill
Cannonball - The Breeders
Kool Thing - Sonic Youth
Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush
Don鈥檛 Delete the Kisses - Wolf Alice
Silhouette - Julia Holter
Like a Prayer - Madonna
Top of the World - Shonen Knife
It鈥檚 a Shame (My Sister) - Monie Love
Tom鈥檚 Diner - Suzanne Vega
My Sweet Lord - Nina Simone