'In 2014 I assembled a collected edition of the poems of the Australian poet Lesbia Harford (1891–1927), whose work had then been out of print for thirty years. The book’s reception was mixed at best, with a number of the reviews complaining that I had focused too much on Harford’s lyricism at the expense of her political writing and activism. There were accusations of ‘gendering’ and ‘marginalisation’: far from strengthening her reputation, I had apparently reduced it to something slight and ‘feminine’. I was stupefied by the reaction, but over time found myself questioning my approach. Perhaps, without realising it, I’d presented a distorted view?' (Introduction)
