A fictionalised story about the making of the original Oxford English Dictionary may not sound like a gripping read but don’t judge a book by its topline plot – The Dictionary of Lost Words (Vintage) became a lockdown bestseller when it was released in its native Australia last year. Available in the UK today, Pip Williams’ debut novel is utterly fascinating in its portrayal of the processes and rules involved in the male-dominated world of recording language.
While some characters are based on real-life figures, the story centres on fictional character Esme. Inheriting a love of language from her father, she becomes a lexicographer in early 20th century England, when she notices that certain words are considered more important than others. Unsurprisingly, discarded words are mainly those used by, and about, women. After all, it’s men who write the dictionaries. So Esme begins secretly building her own dictionary of ‘women’s words and their meanings’ in the hope that female voices in history will be preserved.
“This absorbing story takes place over 100 years – which is how long it took for the first Oxford English dictionary to be completed,” says Stylist’s Lucy Robson. “The impact of major world events like the suffragette movement and WW1 on both the lexicon and Esme’s life are particularly compelling. Beautiful and moving, it’s perfect for lovers of historical fiction – I predict it will be a book club favourite.” £14.99, Bookshop.org