We Celebrated Women Writers
Article written by Carol Brinson, a member of Chichester Women’s History Research Group. This article will also be published in the Chichester Society magazine.
This lively event was held on 20th June in the splendour of Chichester’s Assembly Rooms. Part of the Festival of Chichester, it was organised by the Chichester Women’s History Group (CWHG).
Following a welcome by CHWG’s founder and tour-de- force-leader, Francesca Tambling, the day was enthusiastically introduced by Jess Brown-Fuller MP.
Pictured: Francesca Tambling, Jess Brown- Fuller MP & Kate Mosse CBE
There followed four talks by celebrated authors about their books, interspersed with an outline by Nichola Court and Jenny Mason of the archives featuring Sussex women writers to be found in the West Sussex Record Office, with plenty of pictures of the records available. The usefulness of these for writers and social and local historians was emphasised.
The talk by Kate Mosse CBE From Carcasonne to Chichester described the inspiration behind her best-selling books including Labyrinth and The Taxidermist’s Daughter. Research for the latter involved practical experience of taxidermy which was not easy. The importance of place, be it Carcassone or Fishbourne marshes is very influential for her.
Assembly Rooms, Chichester
Etta Lemon and Tessa’s book about her life
In Fashion, Fury and Feathers Tessa Boase, author of Etta Lemon : The Woman who Saved the Birds (first published as Mrs Pankhurst’s Purple Feather) shared insights with great humour as well as pathos into the founding, by women, of the RSPB, how fashion affected endangered birds, and the conditions of the women and children in the plumage trade.
Authors Dr Daisy Dunn, Kate Mosse CBE, Lesley Thomson, Elly Griffiths, Tessa Boase
This was followed by a double act of crime-writers Elly Griffiths and Lesley Thomson on Making Crime Pay. Questions deftly answered included “Have you ever met a murderer” (yes, whilst teaching in a prison, but he was later proved innocent).
Finally, author and classicist Dr Daisy Dunn was in conversation with Kate Mosse CBE about Daisy’s book The Missing Thread. Daisy’s enthusiasm for, and deep knowledge of, classical history came through strongly.
Throughout the day there was time for everyone to socialise, buy books from Waterstone’s table, which the authors signed, and see the West Sussex Record Office display about Madge Turner.
The event was very much a collaborative effort with the following local people introducing or thanking the speakers: Dr Caroline Adams, Clare Apel MBE, Deputy Mayor Sarah Quail, Margaret Robertson, Dame Philippa Russell, Dr Susan Thomas, Kate Viner, and Vince Waldron, and writer/musician Kevin O’Regan switching roles to provide invaluable technical help. Members of the CWHG and other volunteers, men and women, carried out all the myriad tasks which make such a day go so smoothly.
