I was intrigued and curious to receive an email from Jane Maxim, a good friend of 30 years, headed ‘Women: Ideas, Skills, Experience’. She was inviting me to a talk in Aldeburgh where she was going to discuss her work with a group of other women.
The more I thought about it, the more I realised that over the previous 30 years I had never once questioned Jane in detail about her formidable academic career. Why not? It certainly wasn’t from lack of interest. I began to reflect on how little I really knew about the professional lives of women I know apart from giving them the relevant job title: academic, author, lawyer, artist, retailer…
Jane’s talk was to be the first meeting of WISE, an all-women group. I admit that I went with some trepidation as I am not a devotee of anything which is ‘all women’ except perhaps sybaritic spa breaks. There was also the lingering doubt that as someone who had never had a profession I shouldn’t be there anyway!
The group WISE has been created to offer women the structure and time to learn more about their peers’ diverse professional lives, and to share knowledge, expertise and opinions.
We all know that presenting a talk is no easy business. You only have to attend a Literary Festival lecture to realise that however eminent you are in your field, if you can’t hold the audience attention the lecture will fall flat.
However, we have been fortunate that the speakers so far have all been passionate about their work and have been able to convey this with structure and clarity. What has been interesting is their different styles of delivery– which so far have mirrored their work.
Janey King (author Rosie Thomas) chose to write and read us the story of a young aspiring novelist to illustrate the competitive, mercenary world of publishing.
Jane Maxim gave a lecture backed up with academic research and clinical trial material to illustrate her argument.
Caroline Fisher provided us with a written framework of legal guidelines used by social workers and the local authority solicitor when weighing up whether a child should be left with its family or taken into care. However, her style was fluid and open to question and answer throughout. I felt this reflected her working environment where she must listen, evaluate and then respond within the parameters of the law.
I recommend that you come as a guest to WISE if you live in the Aldeburgh area, and of course, only if you are a woman!
Kerstin Davey
W I S E Aldeburgh 