“I have sometimes dreamt, at least, that when the Day of Judgment dawns and the great conquerors and lawyers and statesmen come to receive their rewards—their crowns, their laurels, their names carved indelibly upon imperishable marble—the Almighty will turn to Peter and will say, not without a certain envy when He sees us coming with our books under our arms, ‘Look, those need no reward. We have nothing to give them here. They have loved reading.’ “

—Virginia Woolf, “How Should One Read a Book?” The Common Reader

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Complementing this quote that encourages people to be avoid reading passively, all of Virginia Woolf’s literary abilities went toward ensuring her essays and books could be actively engaged with. Born Adeline Virginia Stephen, Woolf grew up surrounded by books and creative company, influences that would later lead her to become a valuable member of the Bloomsbury Group. She is often cited as being a revolutionary writer for the modernist movement, writing about feminism in works such as Orlando, A Room of One’s Own, and Mrs. Dalloway. Three Guineas is another famous work of hers that expresses feminist themes and her stance against fascism. She also explored her depression and struggles with mental health in her works.

With her husband and fellow Bloomsbury Group member, Leonard, Woolf went on to start the Hogarth Press, which is presently an imprint The Crown Publishing Group of Penguin Random House.

The Pace University Press has also published works in honor of Virginia Woolf: Virginia Woolf and Trauma: Embodied Texts, Women in the Milieu of Leonard and Virginia Woolf, Virginia Woolf: Selected Papers, and Woolf Across Cultures.