Between 1975 and 1980 Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, murdered thirteen women in northern England, causing prolonged public fear and prompting fierce criticism of the police investigation. The case exposed deep-rooted attitudes to women in both the media and law enforcement. It sparked important feminist responses in poetry, fiction, and journalism, including Blake Morrison's subsequent writings on violence and community.

The Yorkshire Ripper murders in 1975 highlighted misogyny and violence against women, prompting a wave of feminist poetry that addressed these societal issues. Poets like Carol Ann Duffy and Margaret Atwood used their work to critique patriarchal structures and advocate for women's rights.