The Modern Women's Club

In 1926, at the height of Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship, a group of women decided to shake the foundations of a society that wanted them confined to the home. Defying tradition, they founded the Lyceum Club Femenino in Madrid: a space of their own where nearly five hundred members worked to promote equality and access to culture until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War brought their efforts to an end. Considered Spain’s first feminist association, its salons hosted debates on women’s suffrage, initiatives such as the Casa de los Niños and the Committee for Books for the Blind were launched, and bridges were built between women of different ideological backgrounds.

The Modern Women’s Club rigorously and vividly reconstructs this fascinating portrait of a turbulent decade—marked by a dictatorship, a republic, and war—and the network of solidarity forged by its leading figures, a constellation of indispensable voices in the Generation of ’27 and in Spain’s Silver Age, including María de Maeztu, María Lejárraga, Clara Campoamor, Victoria Kent, Elena Fortún, and Zenobia Camprubí.

One hundred years later, Eva Cosculluela reclaims the legacy of these pioneers, whose political, cultural, and professional influence marked a turning point. Drawing on exhaustive research and previously unpublished documents, this edition restores an essential part of our collective memory and returns these women’s names to the place they deserve in our history.