"Other British Voices examines the lives and writings of four nonconformist women--Mary Steele (1753-1813), Mary Scott (1751-93), Jane Attwater (1753-1843), and Elizabeth Coltman (1761-1838)--who comprised the heart of a vibrant literary circle in the West Country of England between 1766 and 1840. These women exhibited in their poetry, prose, and life writings a keen awareness of contemporary political events; a devotion to their faith, mainly expressed in their life writings; radical opinions on courtship, marriage, and women's education; and distinct Romantic sensibilities in regard to nature and the emotions. The Steele circle also demonstrates the collaborative, sociable nature of eighteenth-century women's coteries, their manuscripts and publications circulated and preserved among friends and family for generations" --