Members’ News and Publications

If you have a news item which you would like to appear in the next College Report please send in your contribution before 31 July 2021

1950

Rosemary Filmer (Dr Moore)’s 2000 book The Light in Their Consciences: The Early Quakers in Britain, 1646-1666 has been published in a revised edition. Daphne Wall writes: ‘Since I came up to Somerville in 1950 I leave it to my fellow Somervillians to estimate my age. For those of us in this group, of course, there has been no going out, much reliance on kind neighbours and friends for shopping, and a great deal of dependence on our many devices and on a good book to curl up with when we want to forget the often grim news. But we are lucky to have survived, lucky to have children and grandchildren to call us and report their achievements. Finding great joy in my own garden I often think of Somerville’s and especially its beautiful trees. Thanks for the memories – and greetings and best wishes.’

1951

Lindsey Miller (Mrs March) moved to Oxford to be near her daughter. Since then she has been involved with a lot of local and international causes, mostly environmental and to do with international justice and peace. Patricia Owtram (Mrs Pat Davies) became a Freeman of the London Borough of Hounslow on 12 November 2019 at Chiswick Town Hall. Pat has had a busy year with WW2 anniversaries and was one of three representatives from Bletchley Park at the 2019 Women of the Year luncheon. She has also been heard on Radio 4. Jenifer Weston (Mrs Wates) writes: ‘Initially, utterly dismayed by the severity of the lockdown. But then I realised that of course, I would do anything within my power to save the lives of my beloved people. So have been seeing myself as a temporary hermit: painting, reading, gardening. Missing people, but welcoming the telephone and Zoom. And feeling very privileged.’

1953

Nadine Brummer writes: ‘I was lucky to have my new book Whatever It Is That Chimes: New and Selected Poems published on March 13 and luckier to have been driven down to Dorset March 22 to share our equal (not second) home with shielding friend. Experience of lockdown April/May was surreal – such a disjunction between loveliness of cottage garden and the shadow of coronavirus with bleak daily news and stats. As it went on lots of emails and kindness of Beaminster neighbour/ friends helped. Felt privileged and mindful of people in dire situations. Sad and worried by Covid-19, I’ve been profoundly shocked by events in Minneapolis; their ‘choke-hold’ seems crueller than any pandemic, involving, as it does, intentional killing cruelty. I hope I live long enough to see benign change.’ Ann Mansfield-Robinson (Mrs Currie) writes: ‘We came to this assisted housing complex with attached nursing home in 2014 and it is a great success. Sadly Giles is now completely blind and has vascular dementia so he is now in the nursing home. He is very well looked after. They had one case of Covid and nursed her back but it has meant I cannot go into the building. I am able to take him for a walk every day in the lovely park surrounding us and I am being looked after too but retain my independence. Our daughters live within half an hour so we see them (outdoors) regularly and are altogether very privileged. I feel for those less so. Life is much more trying for our grandchildren.’

1954

Hilary Maunsell (Dr Brown) writes: ‘We continue to enjoy living in northwest Scotland. It has been a good place to be during coronavirus lockdown with plenty of room for social distancing and kind younger neighbours who fetch our shopping. Our garden has received much attention this year and rewarded us with its usual fine display of rhododendrons. The adjacent 14 acres where we are restoring the oak woodland (some of the most northerly in Britain) has also kept us busy. Our best trees, started from acorns, are now, after 14 years, 5 metres tall.’

PROFESSOR DAME AVERIL CAMERON

1956

Sonia Jackson writes: ‘I went to Spain in December 2019 to launch an international book on the education of children and young people in care. My flight was so delayed that I missed my connection in Madrid and arrived too late for the dinner at which I was due to speak. No sign yet of the promised compensation, but Oviedo was lovely.’

1958

Warmest congratulations to Averil Sutton (Professor Dame Averil Cameron) on the award of the British Academy’s Kenyon Medal for her lifetime contribution to Byzantine Studies. The only other woman to receive this medal is also a Somervillian, Joyce Reynolds (1937). https://www. thebritishacademy.ac.uk/prizes-medals/ kenyon-medal/

Margaret Deacon (Mrs Seward) reports: ‘For the last 10 years we have been associated as helpers with the Dante Summer Festival in the Tamar Valley, founded and directed by Krysia Osostowicz, until last year first violin in the Dante Quartet. Sadly, her plans for this year’s festival, which should have been held in July, could not go ahead on account of the virus, but we hope it will resume again when matters improve.’

1961

Maya Bradshaw (Dr Slater) writes: ‘My husband Nicolas Pasternak Slater’s new translation of Doctor Zhivago was published by the Folio Society last November, in a beautiful Limited Edition. As Editor and Picture Editor, I chose 68 works by Leonid Pasternak, Boris Pasternak’s father, using pictures of family members for the characters, and finding works which Pasternak alludes to in his text. Before lockdown we gave joint talks about it at the British Library, the Ashmolean, Pushkin House, and Antwerp University. Love and Youth, our translation of Turgenev stories, comes out this autumn, and we are cotranslating Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons, so lockdown has been busy.’ Despite lockdown Nina Hargreaves (Mrs Maria Perry-Robinson, professionally Maria Perry) is continuing to work on her best-selling book Sisters to the King (London, 1989) – the story of Henry VIII’s sisters, Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France – for a film option. Mary was the most beautiful princess in all Europe. The Emperor burst into tears because his Council would not allow him to marry her. The book has been an international best-seller for 22 years. The first option in 1999 was dropped because of 9/11. Maria is now seeking English scriptwriters; she says a fierce American lady is after it. Locations are to include places where the book sells consistently: Windsor Castle, Holyrood House, Edinburgh Castle, the Tower of London. If you have contacts in the film industry, Maria would be delighted to hear from you (0207 937 2284; mariaperryrobinson@yahoo.co.uk ) Vivette Luttrell (Professor Glover) is still involved in research although retired. An interesting current project is showing how taking part in singing and dancing sessions can reduce anxiety and depression in pregnant women in The Gambia. Her previous work suggests that this should be of benefit both to them and their future children. Warmest congratulations to Julia Stretton Downes (Professor Dame Julia Higgins) who has been given an honorary degree by Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. Dame Julia has also been awarded the Sir Frank Whittle Medal of the Royal Academy of Engineering, which will be ‘presented’ to her at the Academy’s AGM on 22 October, and the Sir Sam Edwards medal and prize of the Institute of Physics.

1962

Naomi Claff (Lady Lightman) is deeply saddened by the death in March of her husband, Sir Gavin Lightman, whom she married a month after Finals in 1965. Joanna Hodgkin (Mrs Hines) writes: ‘A documentary Tell Me Who I Am was produced by Netflix late 2019. It has the same name as the book I wrote with Alex and Marcus Lewis, but approaches their story differently. It is harrowing, but they remain two of the most remarkable people it’s been my pleasure to know.’ Jane Roaf (Dr Galbraith) takes care to avoid Covid-19 but keeps busy with the local park users association and giving statistical advice to researchers at University College London. Her first granddaughter is one year old. Sheila Roxburgh (Mrs Mawby) reports being locked down in rural Worcestershire since Friday13 March. ‘The previous day I was in Oxford, finalising plans for an Oxford Society (Worcestershire) tour of the Science Area. Like the Somerville Association AGM, this has now been postponed for a year. With a peaceful garden, great views and a harvest of fruit and vegetables, this is a more pleasant place to be confined than most. I have been busy taking photographs and taking part in various Zoom and other online meetings. I have enjoyed several online “events” such as the Somerville Film Club. But I am missing Oxford, human contact and conversation!’

1964

Sue Watson (Mrs Griffin) has extended her store of knowledge during lockdown: ‘I now know the difference between Anderson and Morrison airraid shelters, thanks to 10-year-old granddaughter Connie’s home learning. “Granny, Mum says you always know the answer to history questions in quizzes. Can we do some history on Zoom? I’d like to do the Home Front in World War Two.” Armed with an online map and her camera, she identified where bombs fell between her home and school in Bethnal Green during the Blitz and assembled a display of photos of buildings old and new. We “did” rationing (with my parents’ ration books) but couldn’t fit in evacuees before she went back to school.’

1965

Uma Das Gupta’s latest publication is Friendships of ‘Largeness and Freedom’: Andrews, Tagore, and Gandhi: An Epistolary Account, 1912-1940, Oxford University Press, India, 2019, ISBN 0-19-948121-0 Sheila Peach (Mrs Drury) writes: ‘Having returned to Neston in 2017 and (almost) completed yet another renovation, I’m freer to concentrate on family (two lively grandchildren), eclectic reading, painting and opera. I’m a Trustee of Mid Wales Opera, supporting young musicians, and I’ve also been producing digital maps of gardens from my sketches. The latest has been of Poulton Hall, Wirral home of the Lancelyn Green family with strong Oxford connections. Garden artworks commemorate Roger Lancelyn Green, one of the Inklings, Lewis Carroll, whose biography he wrote, and CS Lewis who visited.’

1966

Judith Duckworth (Professor Howard) has been very busy in her beautiful garden, but if not tempted into the garden, or keeping in touch with the world, she is not short of regular work. ‘The diary seems pretty full of online meetings, but Lord knows when I shall be venturing out into Durham very much, let alone further afield. The Dept (Chemistry, Durham University) is opening slowly now and there are of course strict rules and regulations to follow in the new world. I shall continue here and online for quite some time I suspect. I have been enjoying re-discovering my bread baking skills and trying to master sourdough too. Just about there and it’s really tasty! Managed to do several of those long

ignored/forgotten chores there was never time for ... but many still await my attention. Husband John has been busy helping me catalogue my art collection, no mean task with over 300 items and loads of receipts/details/provenance lost over time.’ Emma Kirkby in her 70th year has been presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2019 for her outstanding contribution to musicmaking in her career. See more: https:// www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/2019/ lifetime-achievement Rosalind (Roz) Morris writes: ‘A remarkable year in which we are all broadcasters now and I’ve moved my Rosalindmedia training business online instead of face to face. We’ve never before seen so much of other people’s bookcases or their bedrooms as WFH has become part of the new normal – whether people are talking on TV or in meetings and there’s definitely a need for my training in how to look professional on screen. I’m (finally) completing my book on how to handle media interviews successfully, so hopefully next year I’ll tell you about that.’

1967

Carolyn Beckingham is still a Trustee of the International Liberty Association which promotes human rights in Iran, and a member of the team of the Link For Freedom Foundation, which campaigns to urge the government to do so and to support the people of Iran in their desire to be free of oppression. Jennifer Collins (Dr Barraclough) reports: ‘Life in New Zealand has been virtually back to normal since our strict lockdown ended, except that border restrictions remain in place. There is much debate about how long we should remain cut off from the rest of the world. My planned visit to England had to be cancelled, but meanwhile I’ve carried on with my animal charity work, choral singing and writing. I published two books this year: You Yet Shall Die is a psychological mystery novel set in Kent and Sussex, and A Partly Anglicised Kiwi is my husband’s memoir about growing up in New Zealand and training as a psychiatrist in England.’ Deborah Hewitt (Mrs Bowen) writes: ‘Despite the awfulness of living under Covid for many people, in some ways I’ve found it almost refreshing, to realise that we can, in fact, be brought to a standstill and forced to rethink how we live. I have appreciated having to look in new ways at the future of our societies, our environments and our neighbours near and far; my prayer is that we don’t squander these opportunities, so dearly bought. In my own world, I’m working with a grant to create a curated anthology of local poetry: Poetry in Place will feature the land, the water, the creatures, and the cultures of SW Ontario, and will aim to offer a hopeful reading of what the future can hold if we use our creative imaginations to their best ability.’ Michèle Roberts’s memoir Negative Capability: a Diary of Surviving (Sandstone) was published in May 2020. Margaret Sidebottom (Dr Clark) writes: ‘I have rather enjoyed the peace of lockdown in a semi-rural setting. Our church has kept in touch electronically, and I have been producing a weekly meditation which started as a Lent exercise and has continued by demand. The paper I was meant to give this weekend at a local history conference should be held over to 2021. My eldest son has turned 40 and just given me my first grandchild, so life definitely goes on! The second is changing career, thanks to Covid, and taking an MA in Law next academic year. Good comes out of anything.’

1968

Susanna Graham-Jones is currently a Trustee of the following UK charities: The Oxford Parent Infant Project (OXPIP), the Ley Community, and the Exuberant Trust. Sara Greenbury (Dr Turner) writes: ‘In 2018 I heard about a social enterprise project working with NGOs for scattered villages totalling about 20,000 tribal people in the Nilgiri hills in South India: the PLENTI project (http://www. plentiproject.org/). Volunteers spend a month there each year. I worked as a clinical psychologist based in the tribal hospital http://ashwini.org/new/ developing a strategy to reduce the very high incidence of suicide. The hospital has a well-developed community health programme using lay volunteers and nurses. I initiated some training and since returning to the UK, I have worked remotely developing a two-day training programme which was attended by many of the health volunteers. The project has been a fantastic experience and I am still in close touch with people there.’

1969

Gill Bennett writes: ‘I planned to cut back on work with the Foreign Office Historians, but the Covid crisis and global instability has made us busier than before. After a period of ill-health, I am now working harder than ever. A welcome distraction has been that in lockdown, my son has turned my study into a recording studio, and even set me up with my own YouTube channel, called Gill’s New Groove. Do have a look at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=FRkCI0oH9LY’ Charlotte Morgan has taken up a new appointment as Vice President at the Association of Corporate Treasurers. Susan Whitehouse (Mrs Markham) writes: ‘We now spend a lot of the year in France, at a flat in the Alps. In the winter we ski every day, trying to keep fit in our old age. We have just sold our boat, so we no longer spend four months a year afloat. Instead we do a lot of hiking in the mountains. Coronavirus has not really affected us, unless we catch it of course!’

1970

Helena Dunstan writes: ‘Since retiring from the University of Sydney, I have been living a full and interesting life in outer Western Sydney, where 50 degrees Celsius temperatures may well become reality this summer. As well as my volunteer role with an Aboriginalled organisation, I am at present the convenor of our “local” Greens group and the Secretary of the Board of the Women’s Justice Network, which supports women who have been incarcerated and want to make positive changes in their lives. I am also looking forward to Christmas, when I might have time to get back to my research. It is just like being an academic!’ Hilary Gigg (Professor Tompsett) writes: ‘Sadly my husband, Christopher Tompsett, died in February 2019. We had two joint research articles successfully published in 2016 and 2017, and I recently completed a chapter in a book celebrating 50 years of social work. My chapter was on social work education.’

Julie Hamilton writes: ‘After many years as a freelance archaeologist specialising in the study of animal bones, I joined the Research Lab for Archaeology to work on isotopes. In 2016 I received a DPhil for research applying carbon and nitrogen isotopes to the ecological and agricultural development of the Thames Valley landscape. Soon afterwards I retired from archaeology and am currently working part time for a local charity. I’m still happily living in Oxford, while my grown-up children have moved away to Bristol and York.’ Sabina Lovibond writes: ‘Before coronavirus there were various academic travels, including a day workshop at the University of Amsterdam (October 2018) on my Essays on Ethics and Feminism; also a talk at the Sorbonne (November 2019) to a seminar on “ordinary language philosophy”. Lockdown activities: finishing Proust! (In translation.) A mixed pleasure but still a landmark. Publications: “Between Tradition and Criticism: The ‘Uncodifiability’ of the Ethical”, in Benjamin De Mesel and Oskari Kuusela (eds), Ethics in the Wake of Wittgenstein (Routledge, 2019); “Vulnerable and Invulnerable: Two Faces of Dialectical Reasoning”, in Angelaki 2020, special memorial issue for Pamela Sue Anderson.’ Judith McClure writes: ‘On 1 July I became Chairman of The New Club Edinburgh, founded in 1787. I am very excited but a little nervous, as we reopen soon after lockdown. Members have been so helpful and understanding. Working with our superb Secretary during this extraordinary period has been very rewarding, even if distanced, while my beloved husband Roger writes yet another book, on Eurasia in the first millennium, and learns Arabic.’ Janet Milligan (Mrs Matcham) writes: ‘Since 2015, my husband and I have been living on the beautiful Caribbean island of Nevis. It is a small island with limited health care facilities, so when Covid-19 emerged, there was a lot of concern here about how we would cope. (We only have two intensive care beds!). So in very quick order, in mid-March, our borders were closed; hotels and bars were closed; numbers allowed to enter shops were limited; we all had to wear masks in public. The most draconian measure was the lockdown: a few days total lockdown, when we were not allowed out of our homes for any reason at all, followed by a couple of days partial lockdown, when we were allowed out to the shops to buy supplies. This went on for several weeks and was gradually eased. Thanks to these measures, we have only had four cases (the last three months ago), none serious, and no deaths. The economy here is largely dependent on tourism, but as most of our tourists come from the US, it would be far from safe to open up just yet.’ Lidia Sciama, of the Oxford Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, has edited, introduced and contributed to a book, Humour, Comedy and Laughter (Berghahnm, 2016), and co-edited and contributed to War and Women (Berghahn, 2016).

1971

Santha Bhattacharji writes: ‘I retired in September after 15 years as Senior Tutor of St Benet’s Hall, Oxford. I moved to North Wales at the beginning of November, which proved to be extremely fortunate timing. I had several months of inserting myself into my new, very welcoming, community before the pandemic, and then a fairly painless time during lockdown. I have open countryside on my doorstep and can go on long walks where I pass only a couple of other people. Basically, during the lockdown I’ve lived more or less as I would anyway, but have actually been grateful for the slower pace and being at home more. I would have been very stressed if I’d still been in Oxford during this time!’ Patricia Davis (Mrs Pipe) comments: ‘Currently adapting to realising that Somerville days are now quite some time ago, but certainly not forgotten.’ Sue Dixson reports from Bulgaria: ‘This last year has been challenging, not just because of Covid. I spent months on and off in Britain, mainly with my parents in Cardiff, but also to attend the College Gaudy in June. My mother died in October, my father went to my brother’s for Christmas, had an “episode” and has been in bed in England (hospital then nursing home) since, so the family home will be sold and Wales will seem even more distant. I have just completed 12 years living with my expanding family of cats and dogs in Bulgaria and am grateful that we have space and nature all around us. Thanks to the Somervillians who have made a special effort to keep in touch.’ June Raine became the interim Chief Executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Agency (MHRA) on 23 September 2019.

1972

Natasha Robinson writes: ‘We had committed to no more flying in 2020 and to try exploring Europe in an electric car during our final year as EU citizens. Instead I found myself back at work in the NHS as a Medical Examiner, completing the documentation for patients who died in hospital, and speaking to their families – mostly remotely. I was very much in the thick of the pandemic (including catching a mild dose myself), but also lucky to have a legitimate reason to leave the house and meet others. Many neighbours were self-isolating, and so instead of planning the summer street party for the neighbourhood I found myself arranging grocery and prescription deliveries.’ Elizabeth (Liz) Webster (Mrs McDougall) writes: ‘I am delighted that we have retired to Oxford. It is great fun to be able to introduce our young grandsons to the city.’

1974

Erica Budgen (Mrs Wildgoose) has been appointed Disability Officer for Bristol East Labour Party. Olwyn Hocking writes: ‘More than 40 years after Somerville studies (PPE), the seeds planted then are enjoying flowering at the Scottish Parliament, where I am an Official Reporter, creating the Scottish version of Hansard. Also, delighted that social enterprise Digital Voice for Communities’ pioneering work across the digital divide since 2007 is giving a voice to survivors of domestic abuse and looked-after children.’ Felicity (Fiz) Markham has now completed her BMus at Royal Holloway and gained a First Class Honours Degree. She intends to undertake a part-time MMus with a focus on composing. Aside from that, she reports conducting a choir, teaching music, playing and singing, and Morris dancing – all more or less on hold for the moment.

Jenna Orkin writes: ‘A guy streaking by on a bike shouted into his phone. Either he said, “Wash it off,” or “Martial law”. Whichever one it was, the other interpretation reveals something about where my unconscious is focused these days. From https://coronaviruswtf. blogspot.com, the blog I set up for people to record their Covid-19 experiences. All are welcome to contribute.’ For Louisa Parsons the last year has brought many challenges. ‘Cancer recurred and that put everything on hold for some months and then just as I returned to my end of life work the lockdown began. I have been able to offer support at a distance by phone or videolink but no visits to homes, hospice or hospital have been possible with the regulations. Many people have sought practical help with advance planning, others have been devastated by the lack of contact with the people they love and the impossibility of saying goodbye as they would have wished.’

1975

Linda Jones (Mrs Appleby) writes: ‘My poetry collection, Harvest, is to be published this year. It tells of events surrounding the nine months I spent in hospital. It was first published locally but should now be published worldwide, all being well with the current delays. During lockdown I was unable to get an online shopping order, so we enlisted the help of two volunteers, who took on the task cheerfully and reliably. Lockdown has, thankfully, taken the pressure off and given me a bit of space, going for walks with my neighbour and joining in with the church service on Zoom. I particularly enjoyed the “broadcasts” from Somerville and as ever was profoundly grateful for that connection.’ Susan Scott, Professor at the Australian National University, writes: ‘It was the summer of natural disasters. I was on the marine volcano White Island, New Zealand, the day before it erupted in December. Then Canberra was shrouded in bushfire smoke, from nearby fires, for many weeks and we wore masks and stayed inside. In January, we recorded our hottest ever day at 44°C and a terrifying hailstorm destroyed my car. Canberra almost burnt in February. And then came the pandemic and we wore masks and stayed inside. Some good news though. I was recently awarded the Dirac Medal, which is an international award recognising a distinguished contribution to physics.’ In October Susan was one of a team of four scientists awarded the Prime Minister of Australia’s 2020 Prize for Science. The team has made a critical contribution to the first direct detection of gravitational waves on earth – a groundbreaking discovery in the world of Physics. We congratulate Susan most warmly.

1976

Robin Henry (Mrs Mednick) received in 2018, from the Governor General in Canada, the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal for founding Pencils for Kids and its contributions to the country of Niger. Pencils for Kids is a Canadian charity that has built schools, sponsored hundreds of scholarships for girls, started a Sewing Centre, and helped to create 18 income-generating gardens for women in the Farmers of the Future program. For Rosie Rogers (Mrs Oliver) one of 2019’s highlights was being part of a co-operative of women writers who published and edited a science fiction anthology, Distaff. ‘I was absolutely delighted when one of its stories was included in the Best of British Science Fiction 2019. It was such fun that we’re now in the process of producing a sister fantasy anthology, Femme Fae-Tales.’ Jane Schroder (Dr Gravells) writes: ‘In this strange year, and as I have been missing my scattered family, my garden has never had so much attention and is looking good. Last year, at our Somerville Gaudy, I admired a plant in the gardens which was in full flower in late June. Taking a picture would have been helpful, but I didn’t. However, Liz kindly put me in touch with the new Head Gardener, who asked one of the long-standing members of the team, who could identify it from my description! I got it for my lockdown birthday – a little bit of College Gardens in Staffordshire!’

1977

Susan Reigler has had two new books published in 2020: Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon: Setting the Table for Tastings, Food Pairings, Dinners, and Cocktail Parties, co-authored with Peggy Noe Stevens, and Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide, 3rd edition. During the pandemic Susan has conducted bourbon tastings via Zoom. Last year, she was inducted into the Order of the Writ, the bourbon equivalent of Scotch whisky’s Keepers of the Quaich. Kate Taylor (Dr Lack) writes: ‘Lockdown has been an extraordinary experience. We have been much busier than normal, maintaining several community groups and services, and my deadlines have slipped twice as a result. But the publishers were wrestling with home schooling, so they are very forgiving. Husband Paul mastered Zoom quickly, and switched his teaching onto it; I am less comfortable so have mostly stuck with emails. The local population has drawn much closer together, and there is a tangible sense of people looking out for one another. Our main family news is that our son and daughter-in-law (both PPE, Oxford) have made us very proud grandparents.’

1978

Elissa Hare retired to North Bay, Ontario, to be near family. Sonia Phippard has retired from the Civil Service (Defra) and has been appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath for public service in the delayed Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Sonia says “I am delighted and humbled to receive the CB, recognising that all achievements in public service are so dependent on great team work. But I am also pleased that it celebrates and recognises some significant achievements for the environment in the last five years.” We congratulate Sonia most warmly.

1979

Julia Gasper reports: ‘My latest book, Sophie De Tott: Artist in a Time of Revolution, has been published and is available as an ebook, paperback or hardback. The extraordinary life of Sophie de Tott (1758-1848), an artist, writer, musician and secret agent who witnessed the French Revolution first hand: https://www.lulu.com/en/us/ shop/julia-gasper/sophie-de-tottartist-in-a-time-of-revolution/ebook/ product-196jwkne.html. My edition of The Modern Philosopher, Letters to Her Son and Verses on the Siege of Gibraltar,

by Elizabeth Craven is out in paperback from Cambridge Scholars Press: https://www.cambridgescholars.com/ the-modern-philosopher-letters-toher-son-and-verses-on-the-siege-ofgibraltar-by-elizabeth-craven. Thirdly, a book to which I contributed a chapter, The New Normal: The Transgender Agenda (Wilberforce Publications, 2018), is being translated into Spanish.’ Dona Millheim (Mrs Cady) is very pleased to be returning to Oxford in 2020 for an MSt in Literature and Arts. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many colleges in the US, including hers. ‘We are continuing to teach online through at least the fall 2020 semester. Since I have taught online for almost 20 years, I have been less affected than some; however, the move to online learning has certainly highlighted the social and technological inequities for many students across the US, and this is an issue that must be addressed.’ Jacqueline Watts writes: ‘Writing as JS Watts, my next novel, Old Light, was published on 29 February this year, just in time for lockdown. It’s the second book in the Witchlight series (the first being Witchlight itself). I’m hoping that the third book in the series, Elderlight, will have a more auspicious debut, but whether it now comes out in 2021 as originally envisaged is a moot point.’ http://www.jswatts.co.uk/

1980

Vicky Canning (Mrs Andrew) writes: ‘I have been active in the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, serving on Council (the national governing body of the profession) since June 2019. In June this year, I also took office as President of the London Society of Chartered Accountants, an organisation of 35,000 members. Providing strong and positive leadership in the current environment has been an interesting challenge!’ Neeta Patel (1980, Chemistry)was recognised for her work to support the future of British business as CEO of the Centre for Entrepreneurs with a CBE in the Queen's birthday honours. She says “I am deeply honoured to have been awarded this CBE for services to entrepreneurship and technology, both of which have been my passion throughout my working and personal lives. I am lucky to have worked with and continue to support and be supported by some incredibly passionate and talented business people on my team and through our volunteer network. The impact we have made has been very much a group effort. I would like to thank them all.” We congratulate her most warmly. Alexia (Wai-Chun) Tye is enjoying her new role as Trustee of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), a centre for world-leading environmental science research in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. UKCEH’s research extends from molecular biology to global climate modelling and is undertaken worldwide, from the semi-arid West African Sahel to the rainforests of South East Asia. Alexia enjoys the strategic and policy aspects of UKCEH’s work in partnership with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). With her experience as former finance director of an environmental charity, she was also co-opted on to UKCEH’s audit committee. After a long career in the world of investment banking and private equity, Alexia is now committed to the non-profit sector, especially in the postCovid rebuilding of a fairer and more sustainable society.

1981

Lucinda Coxon is writing a new adaptation of Ibsen’s John Gabriel Borkman, directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Simon Russell Beale, scheduled for opening at the Bridge Theatre, London.

1982

Eleanor Buss (Mrs Whitehead) writes: ‘We moved a couple of summers ago to rural Nevada, at the foot of the Sierras, close to Lake Tahoe and the state capital, Carson City, where I teach special education. We are enjoying the outdoors, and the many opportunities for hiking. We used the lockdown weeks to sort out the vegetable garden, and are now waging war against various pests – squirrels, deer, and other unknown enemies.’ Humaira Khan-Kuzmiak (Dr Khan) writes: ‘For the past many years I have been working on biodiversity conservation issues in the northern Karakoram-Himalayan mountains of Pakistan. I worked with WWF-Pakistan for many years, then joined a large, Islamabad-based university where I did similar research and also taught graduate and undergraduate courses in environmental issues in developing countries. These days I am on an extended stay in the USA.’ Madhura Swaminathan, living in Bengaluru, writes: ‘The strangeness of living alone for four months was made bearable by work as I wrote and spoke at public webinars on policies for agriculture and food security after Covid. The manuscript of an edited volume on Women and Work in Rural India went to press in June. Every day, my husband, daughter, son, and I met on a family Zoom call where one of us gave a short seminar on a topic unrelated to the pandemic. Now numbering 75, I enjoyed learning about varied subjects, from Shakespearean tragedy, to Mexican murals in American modern art and “bullshit” jobs.’

1983

Helen Parnell (Dr Williams) is leaving teaching this year and is expecting to be ordained in June. She hopes to take up the post of Assistant Curate of Wareham in Dorset.

1985

Clare Latham writes: ‘I have stepped away from my role as Chief of Staff at an economics consultancy for a more creative life designing gardens. I was half-way through my training at the Inchbald School when we had to leave the studio and work online instead, but I’m now beginning my first tiny projects. This may prove a terrible time to start out in a new direction – or a good one if increased awareness of the benefits of outside space continues.’

1986

Sacha Romanovitch (1986, Chemistry) was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for her work to support the affordable credit sector during the coronavirus pandemic as CEO of Fair4AllFinance, helping to protect the lifeline they provide to families and small businesses. We congratulate her most warmly.

1988

Essaka Joshua has had a mixed year in the Department of English at the University of Notre Dame, in Indiana. ‘I finished my term as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies on 1 July 2020,

which entailed a huge amount of extra planning work as we redid the teaching timetable for nearly 2,000 classes, brought the semester forward, and worked on preparing for online teaching. My third monograph, Physical Disability in British Romantic Literature, will be published by Cambridge University Press in October 2020. No launch. No book talks. I’ve been given a tenured Associate Professorship, having spent 12 years as a teaching professor here. Three conference papers were cancelled by Covid, as was my 50th birthday trip to see my twin sister in Edinburgh. Our son, Freddie, hasn’t been in school since the day he turned 7 on February 13. Working with a young child at home has been extremely difficult. I’m about to go on research leave and need to go to archives in London, but they’re all closed. I have research funding to travel and to purchase books, but we’re not allowed to use it. The financial crisis is hitting hard, and my university is forbidding travel due to safety concerns.’ Anna Poole reports: ‘On 10 January 2020 I was installed as Lady Poole, Senator of the College of Justice in Scotland. I was initially assigned to jury trials in Glasgow High Court, presiding over a number of rape and domestic abuse trials. After lockdown jury trials stopped, and the courts had to adapt swiftly to electronic hearings (telephone and videoconferencing) in other cases. In lockdown I have mainly decided civil cases, but jury trials modified for social distancing (using two courts for a single trial) are due to recommence in July. In practice, lockdown has meant I have been working from home, which I have loved, particularly since my two children are due to fly the nest in autumn. My appointment followed 20 happy months working as an Upper Tribunal Judge in Edinburgh in the Administrative Appeals Chamber.’ Angela Wilson (Ms Brown) writes: ‘This has been a tumultuous year for me. Upon my divorce, my small farm in Aberdeenshire was sold and I have moved to Edinburgh and am now a full-time artist. I have a new partner, Anne, and bought a wee flat right next to Edinburgh Castle. However, I was diagnosed with ovarian and uterine cancer last summer, plus resulting blood clots in my lungs and spent much of the year dealing with all that – surgery, chemo etc. Thankfully it was caught early so I hope to beat the odds! My chemo low immunity lockdown was immediately followed by the Covid lockdown which has been very frustrating as travel plans I had looked forward to, including a month-long art residency on Fair Isle, were cancelled. I am hoping next year will be a little easier than the last! But I am now looking ahead and it has been lovely to see more of Talya Baker (Cohen, 1988).’

1989

Thérèse Coffey was appointed Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions on 8 September 2019. Thérèse was previously Minister of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Vanessa Patini (Mrs Lawson) sends this report from Chepstow on the South Wales/Gloucestershire border: ’Lockdown has meant three adults (myself, my husband and my brother) and two children aged 11 and 14 have been working from home continuously. We are grateful for a big garden and space in the house, and living at the edge of the Wye Valley AONB has meant green space is close at hand and we have explored what is on our doorstep. Our garden is looking amazing and we have grown more fruit and vegetables than ever before. We haven’t ventured far though; even since rules have relaxed the furthest we have been is Monmouth 16 miles away. Of course in Wales travel has been very restricted and we are only just into England so have been cautious in our approach. We look forward to being able to go further afield from next week when the Welsh rules are relaxed – we are keen orienteers and fell runners and have really missed our hills and our competitions, but we have managed to keep the household fit and healthy by walking and cycling and also swimming in the Wye.’

1990

Caroline Derry writes: ‘My monograph Lesbianism and the Criminal Law: 300 years of regulation in England and Wales was published by Palgrave, while my article “Ethel Bright Ashford: more and less than a role model” appeared in a special edition of Women’s History Review marking the centenary of women’s entry into the legal profession. I was also promoted to Senior Lecturer at the Open University.’ Catherine Goddard (Mrs Callen) writes: ‘After almost 21 years at KPMG, I took redundancy in October and enjoyed five months as a lady of leisure, albeit with my 10 and 12 year old boys there’s never too much leisure! I joined international law firm Freshfields in March as we went into lockdown. I just had time to pick up my laptop before the office shut and have been working from home ever since. Fortunately, my husband has been able to manage the boys and schoolwork, as I’m now working full time for the first time in 13 years. Thank goodness for those five months off!’

1991

Emma Hart, who is a Lecturer at St Andrews, has been appointed next Director of the McNeil Center for Early American Studies in Philadelphia. Her book Trading Spaces: The Colonial Marketplace and the Foundations of American Capitalism was published by University of Chicago Press on 2 November 2019.

1992

Sophie Agrell writes: ‘Despite a horrendously muddy winter and a series of domestic tragedies including the sudden death of a beloved pet lamb, the smallholding was a good place to spend lockdown. We are half a mile from the nearest neighbour so did not have to worry about social distancing or the need to isolate. We are too far from supermarkets to get deliveries but this turned into a blessing as we discovered small local and not so local producers from whom to buy. The quality has been superb and we intend to continue to stay away from supermarkets apart from a few necessities – chiefly tinned tomatoes and sherry. I have been working hard throughout lockdown as my team was furloughed so have had no time for “lockdown projects”. However, I continue to read and write whenever I have a moment – and am very aware that I am fortunate compared to many. The one big regret I have is that the family gathering to celebrate the 80th birthday of my mother Kamini Wickremesinghe (1964) in September has had to be postponed but her scattered family still hopes to gather to celebrate one day.’

1993

Katy Darby has won the Shooter Poetry Competition with her poem ‘Duct tape, milk, shilling, towels’, about Sylvia Plath’s last night alive. https:// shooterlitmag.com/2020/01/10/darbywins-2019-poetry-competition/ Dina Gregory reports that many of her children’s stories are now instantly streamable on Audible’s Stories site: Stories.audible.com. Fairy tales, eco tales, adventure stories and more. This free online resource may be helpful for those Somerville families wishing to minimise library trips in the current pandemic.

1995

Aunj Goyal writes: ‘I have been living for the last three years in Los Angeles with my family. I have some very fond memories of my time at Somerville, and still keep in touch with some close friends from that time, including Sam Gyimah and David Hills. I would be happy to hear from, and meet up with, any alumni living in the area. At a distance …’

1996

Sharon Chan has been recognised by Forbes China in its latest list of Top 50 Women in Science and Technology: https://www.forbes.com/ sites/russellflannery/2020/07/06/ forbes-china-50-top-women-intech/#110f75044c05. Rachel Douglas’s book Making the Black Jacobins: CLR James and the Drama of History came out in September 2019 with Duke University Press. Helen Goddard (Dr Cowan) writes: ‘I continue to work as a freelance health writer and have published more than 150 pieces for Readers Digest Online. I have also written on health for the British Medical Journal, the Telegraph, the Law Society and the Nursing Times. I am a board member for the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing. I have interviewed several Oxford alumni for my work. Working also as a care home nurse, I have been able to reflect on the crisis in care homes during Covid-19, writing for the British Geriatrics Society: https://www.bgs.org.uk/blog/my-lastshift-as-a-care-home-nurse.’ Zelin Ozturk has a job change after 17 years at Kingston University. She is now SITS Technical Lead at St Mary’s University. She loves her new position and is very excited by the new challenges. She says ‘It is a real baptism of fire as I am joining at a crunch period with the system I am going to be responsible for managing/supporting/ developing going live this week (early August).’

1998

Clemena Antonova has published her second monograph, Visual Thought in Russian Religious Philosophy (Routledge, 2020). Louise Radice reports: ‘I managed to land a new job during the lockdown! Previously I was a software developer at the Department for Education in Coventry. As of this month I’m a Modelling Analyst at the Energy Systems Catapult in Birmingham, hoping to do my bit to contribute to a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Apparently, they have quite a swanky office in the city centre, not that I’ve seen it yet. My “commute” has consisted of walking round nearby Jephson Gardens and observing the waterfowl on the River Leam. Working full-time during the lockdown has however meant that I haven’t enjoyed the massive increase in free time that other people have been raving about. So, no, I haven’t learnt a new language, played music or even watched a box set. Also living in a top floor flat with no garden I haven’t got to know my neighbours. I signed up to my local Covid-19 Mutual Aid volunteering group but all I’ve done is deliver a couple of prescriptions. Nor have I taken up cycling again, much to my regret; I have nowhere safe to store a bicycle and there are no bike hire shops in Leamington Spa.’

2000

Alistair Fair has been promoted to Reader in Architectural History at the University of Edinburgh. In 2019, Lund Humphries published his latest book, on recent theatre design, while his 2018 book, on theatre between 1945 and 1985, was republished in paperback by Oxford University Press in summer 2020. Sophie Penny (Mrs O’Shaughnessy)’s son, Matthew, was born in October 2019. She and her husband, Peter, are really loving being parents.

2003

Kit Yates was invited to join the Independent SAGE group, providing independent scientific advice to the government and the wider public to minimise the harm caused by the pandemic and help the nation to recover.

2004

Stefano Palazzo writes: ‘In May 2019, Heather Ridley (English, 2004), Daniel Eyre (PPE, 2004), Fuchsia Watson (Daniel’s wife) and I visited Iain Cox (History, 2004) in Mongolia, where Iain was serving as the UK’s deputy ambassador. Amongst the usual activities tourists get up to (staying out in the desert, having a go at traditional archery, drinking fermented mare’s milk and the like), we five signed up to do the Ulaanbaatar half marathon on a whim. Nothing particularly special about that, other than the fact that (somewhat unexpectedly) Heather managed to come sixth overall in the women’s event… Not only did this make her the highest ranked foreigner in the race, but she also won the princely sum of £75 prize money and was interviewed on Mongolian national TV. Not bad for something we did as a bit of a laugh.’

2005

Amir Hakim reports: ‘The start of 2020 began with the joyous birth of my child, Muhammad. As an academic at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, QMUL and Imperial College (visiting academic), this period was rather busy, juggling a new-born and delivering respiratory teaching to medical students. Little did I know the emerging Covid-19 outbreak would lead to unimaginable changes to my life. In March, I developed a Covid-19 induction pack for non-respiratory physicians for NHS Nightingale and Barts Trust. Caring for a new-born, transitioning to online teaching and undertaking rapid Covid-19 research would not have been possible without the support of my dear wife, Zuhra, and my parents.’

HEATHER RIDLEY NILUKA KAVANAGH

Helen McCabe writes: ‘I was awarded an AHRC Leadership Fellowship (started January 2020) looking at the relationship between forced marriage and modern slavery (more details here: https://gtr.ukri.org/ projects?ref=AH%2FS012788%2F1). John Stuart Mill features in the philosophical analysis part of the project, linking it back to my doctoral and MPhil work at Somerville, and also to my monograph (based on that doctorate), John Stuart Mill: Socialist, which will be coming out in Spring 2021 with McGill-Queens University Press. I also have a chapter on Harriet Taylor Mill in Philosopher Queens, a book which might interest some other Somervillians and their children/grandchildren (see https:// unbound.com/books/philosopherqueens/).’ Jens Scherpe was promoted to Professor of Comparative Law at the University of Cambridge last year.

2006

Carl Gibson completed his PhD in Politics from the University of Reading, where he is now a full-time teaching fellow.

2010

Tess Little has just published her first novel, The Octopus, a murder mystery.

2013

Shyamli Badgaiyan writes: ‘I’m just wrapping up a year at The Economist based in Singapore and Hong Kong. I’ll be heading to Harvard Business School for an MBA this August, after which I intend to pursue my passion for public sector work in India.’ Niluka Kavanagh writes: ‘What a year 2020 has been! I started a new role and team while in lockdown – Brand, Customer and Marketing Strategy at KPMG. Although it was an internal move, it was still very strange to not meet anyone in person. I have also finally taken the opportunity this year to work on a side-hustle, founding a public speaking company called HelpMePresent. Thankfully, the coaching was always intended to be virtual! More broadly speaking, lockdown has given us all, I think, a chance to reflect and reassess the big questions in life. The simple things – human connection, movement, humour – have shone through in their ability to lift us up, even during the most difficult times. I hope everyone reading this is well and my heartfelt regards to Somerville College.’ Calam Lynch appears in new film of Black Beauty.

2015

Dr Young Chan Kim has been selected as the NDM Overall Prize Winner (the best DPhil student) at Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM) based on publication records, impact/novelty of research and references. He was also invited to give a talk to new DPhil and MSc students at NDM at the start of Michaelmas Term. Young writes : ”It is still hard to believe that I have received this prestigious prize but I wanted to say I am very grateful to Somerville College as it definitely played major part during my DPhil life in Oxford.” Alessandro Pirzio-Biroli published a research paper in the Journal of Urban Ecology in February 2020. It investigated the bird life of twenty different University of Oxford colleges, including Somerville (originally from an undergraduate dissertation). Title: ‘Drivers of avian species richness in urban courtyard gardens’ (https:// academic.oup.com/jue/article/6/1/ juz026/5732470)