Katy Hessel on making museums accessible, writing "The Story of Art without Men" and the value of an art-history degree

Rachel and Simon speak to the art historian and author Katy Hessel. While working at a London art gallery, Katy set up @thegreatwomenartists, an Instagram account dedicated to celebrating female artists, as well as "The Great Women Artists Podcast". In 2022 she published "The Story of Art without Men", which became a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and won Waterstones Book of the Year. (She has recently adapted it into an illustrated book for children.) In 2025 she published "How To Live An Artful Life", a collection of quotes for every day of the year, drawing on her interviews with artists including Marina Abramović, Tracey Emin and more. We spoke to Katy about falling in love with the world of museums and art history as a child, the virtues of Instagram and putting together "How To Live An Artful Life".