At first glance, you might be surprised we picked this one. It’s very lovely, but rather recessive and understated.

But that’s just why we like it. Historical biography of women is increasingly falling prey to the unstoppable rise of the Headless Woman phenomenon. Not content with decapitating fictional heroines, publishers are increasingly lopping the heads off people who actually existed, from Catherine of Aragon to Effie Gray.

So hats off to Virago for having the courage to do something completely different with this one. Its cool, retro approach, line drawing and flat colour will stand out a mile amongst the velvet-clad, headless horrors on the covers of its competitors.