One of Many

This book started in the archives. It began as a series of stories hidden in medical records, coroners’ reports, witness statements, jury verdicts, newspaper clippings and incriminating letters from lovers and abortion providers. These historical stories were taken by Irish artist Jennifer Trouton, who, over a period of eight years, turned into an extensive exhibition titled In Plain Sight.

This work, numbering over 150 pieces, was presented to twelve women linked to the subject of abortion. The women were asked to create a written response to the pieces. They included activists, academics, filmmakers, authors, museum curators and abortion providers. Their starting point was the artwork, but their destinations were ultimately guided by their own backgrounds and their areas of interest. Their writing, like this book, is intended to be a conversation starter. It is presented in the hope that it would push back on the lie that women do not want or need access to safe, legal and local abortion provision.

This is a conversation that each generation is forced to have, because if women say nothing, their silence is taken as consent.