Motherhood, childcare and the work/life balance were constant issues for women in the book business then as now.
The 1989 WiP survey Twice as Many, Half as Powerful exposed hostility throughout the book trade hierarchy towards employing and promoting women with children or women who might be contemplating having children – and not just from men but also from women without children.
Many brave attempts were made to set up a workplace crèche but the response from the decision makers was mostly overwhelmingly negative.