‘Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy’ to Be Released in October
The official Star Wars site has announced the release of Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy by Amy Ratcliffe, celebrating female characters across all Star Wars media. At the same time, they interviewed the author of the book, a long-time fan and journalist.
The book which will be release by Chronicle Books in hardcover gathers 75 profiles accompanied by all-new artwork from 18 talented female and non-binary artists. The image of Rey on the cover is the work of Jen Bartel.
StarWars.com: There’s never really been a book like this before — one dedicated to the female characters of Star Wars across mediums. What did you want to achieve with Women of the Galaxy?
Amy Ratcliffe: With Women of the Galaxy, I want to celebrate female characters across the galaxy — from the ones fans know incredibly well, like Leia and Padmé, to lesser known women like Vi Moradi or Aurra Sing. The characters in the book have a range of alignments, professions, and traits, and they all offer so much to the universe. Every one of them is important. I think of the entries as being part celebration and part bio, with background information about the character, behind the scenes facts, and key moments that resonated with me.
My hope is that fans of all ages will find inspiration from the characters in the book and maybe be encouraged to explore more stories set in the Star Wars galaxy.
StarWars.com: With 75 characters featured, it’s a really extensive tome. What was the experience like working on it?
Amy Ratcliffe: When I began research for the book, I truly realized the expansiveness of the universe. I have so many Star Wars books and comics on my bookshelves, and as I pulled them for reference and made notes, I became more appreciative of the variety and depth of stories. Working on Women of the Galaxy gave me an excuse to reread and re-watch my favorite moments and to take the time to consider connections and character arcs, like Rae Sloane’s path from an Imperial naval officer to becoming a Grand Admiral or how Bo-Katan changed in the time between The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. It was a little daunting because I wanted to do everyone justice, but also rewarding.
Among many lesser known characters presented in the book, Ratcliffe is especially excited to highlight Commander Kyrsta Agate, who appeared in Chuck Wendig‘s Aftermath: Empire‘s End and who helped the New Republic win the Battle of Jakku with smart military thinking and enormous sacrifice.
For me, personally, it will be great to see artistic (and official) depictions of some of these lesser known characters, especially those coming from the books.
You can read the entire article on the official Star Wars site.
Staff member, comic and book reviewer. Cheers for the Light Side, but would drink with Grand Admirals.
