When the Beatles hit the charts and the mini skirt hit the streets, the world changed. Or so it seemed at the time. 20 year on, 24 women look back on life in Britain during the decade known as the swinging sixties, to the challenging days of pop culture and popular protest, and the Women's Liberation Movement. In these memoirs, the women describe experiences as varied as being a Beatles fan or a Labour cabinet minister, a famous film actress or the wife of a pop star; how the introduction of the Pill affected behaviour; what it was like to be a student during the Paris protests of 1968, a member of the first feminist consciousness-raising group in London, or on the outside looking at Britain from afar. They explore how the experiences of the 1960s shaped the lives of women today, and the way the decade is seen by 1980s' teenagers. These autobiographical pieces, combined with Sara Maitland's perceptive introduction make Very Heaven an engaging social history. Contributors include Angela Carter, Sheila MacLeod, Julie Christie, Yasmin Alibhai, Barbara Castle and Anne McDermid.