Debut novel by Exeter alumna explores 1920s Oxford through the eyes of its first female students

In 1920, Oxford admitted its first female students as full members of the University. They matriculated in the Divinity School on the 7th of October that year. Exeter alumna Joanna Miller’s (1987, English) debut novel, The Eights, follows the fictional story of four of these young women as they move into Corridor Eight of St Hugh’s College. To be published on the 3rd of April this year and co-edited by another Exeter alumna, Ella Harold (2013, French and German), The Eights is a ‘love letter to academia and to a time and a place’. 

Living in neighbouring rooms, Otto, Dora, Beatrice, and Marianne develop ‘an unlikely, life-affirming friendship’ despite their vastly different backgrounds. Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words, writes that ‘The Eights beautifully captures the power of friendship and love in the wake of extraordinary loss’. Alongside this universal motif, Miller blends in the historical context of 1920s Oxford. The young women must deal with misogyny, the Spanish flu pandemic, and the aftermath of the First World War. According to Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things, The Eights is ‘rooted strongly in time and place’. She says: ‘this novel transports you’. 

Joanna Miller promotes The Eights as a read perfect for book clubs on her website, offering a list of questions to help readers immerse themselves even further into the world of the novel. The tenth and final question asks why Oxford is ‘such a special place’ and whether the story would work elsewhere, highlighting the deep connection to the city expressed in the novel. This connection is magnified by fellow Exonian Ella Harold, one of the editors. She says that the book is ‘set partly in Exeter’, a place that ‘holds special significance for us both’. 

The Eights will be published by Fig Tree, an imprint of Penguin Random House, next week. Helen Garnons-Williams, the publishing director, writes that ‘Miller’s vibrant, richly-layered novel is a celebration of female friendship… the twists and revelations as their stories unfold make The Eights as compelling as it is transporting’.

You can pre-order The Eights now. Order from Blackwell’s to save 14%.