As 2016 drew to a close The Magic Circle celebrated 25 years since women joined its prestigious society.

25 years doesn’t seem a long time when you consider that women have been performing magic for hundreds of years and that the 20th century saw some incredible female magicians take centre stage and bring wonder to the audiences across the world. But progress is sometimes unavoidably measured in small steps taken over a long period of time.

Today there are more women performing magic than ever before. And to celebrate this I offer my own tribute to the women who defied conformity to indulge their love of magic and illusion.