Basic Books signs shadow chancellor Reeves’ The Women Who Made Modern Economics

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves’ The Women Who Made Modern Economics - A Personal History has been snapped up by Basic Books, an imprint of John Murray Press.

Sarah Caro, publishing director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Caroline Michel at Peters, Fraser & Dunlop for publication in autumn 2023.

The book tells the story of the women who have for too many years been locked out of the economy with negative consequences for them and for society as a whole.

The publisher said: “Economic thinking has also largely ignored what women have to offer, marginalising the work of female economists or simply not recognising their achievements.

“As a woman and economist, first at the Bank of England and now as shadow chancellor, who is herself challenging those barriers, Rachel Reeves has written a passionate, powerful and inspiring book dedicated to the women who have gone before and to those who will change the future.

“Drawing on her personal experiences and relating them to the work of women whose work has often been overlooked, Rachel outlines her vision for the future of the economy if she does become the first woman chancellor in which productivity is enhanced, growth is sustainable and there are opportunities for all, not just a privileged elite.”

Reeves is the shadow chancellor of the exchequer and has served as the Labour MP for Leeds West since 2010. Before becoming an MP she spent a decade working as an economist — first for the Bank of England in London and Washington DC, and later for HBOS in Halifax. From 2017-2020, she was chair of the House of Commons Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Select Committee.

When Keir Starmer was appointed Labour leader in May 2020, Reeves took up the role of shadow minister for the Cabinet Office before being appointed shadow chancellor in May 2021. She is the author of two previous books: Women of Westminster: The MPs Who Changed Politics (Bloomsbury, 2019) and Alice in Westminster: The Political Life of Alice Bacon (IB Tauris, 2016).

Reeves said: “The last few years have made resoundingly clear the need for a new economic approach – based on the knowledge that wealth doesn’t trickle from the top down, but comes from the bottom up and middle out. A new global economic consensus is emerging; we need to help shape that, but we also need to learn too from the past.

“This book is about the women whose work has come to define economics as we know it and how some of them have influenced my thinking as an economist and shadow chancellor. From building the British welfare state to solving the economic challenges of combatting the climate crisis, this book tells the too often forgotten stories of the women who have shaped, and continue to shape, the field of economics, exploring the unique lessons we can learn from each of them.”

Caro commented: “Rachel is an inspirational figure for many women regardless of their politics. She is smart, articulate and passionate in her beliefs, at the same time as being warm and relatable. Unlike so many politicians these days, she clearly understands the challenges and aspirations of ordinary people and this is reflected in both this book and in her writing which is deeply informed but brilliantly accessible. I feel really proud to be publishing Rachel on the Basic Books list.”