History and me

What History means to me: Daniela Senés

Daniela Senés is an educator based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was educated in Wales between the ages of 16 and 18 and during her time here formed a life-long interest in the study of History and International Relations. She has written several books on 20th-century history, led workshops on History education and is a former chief examiner in the subject. Daniela has a Masters degree in Latin American Cultural Studies and, using her expertise in this field, has started her own business Gossip Well Told, where guests enjoy dinner while exploring an historical issue. The meals served relate to the topic of the evening, for example, An Evening with Che Guevara is accompanied by Bolivian national dishes, including peanut soup – Che's last meal.

My first memory of my interest in History is being a primary school student at St Catherine’s Moorlands in Buenos Aires. I interviewed my great-grandmother for a History project. My Nonna Virginia was born under the Austro-Hungarian Empire in a small town near Trieste. I remember her in the kitchen speaking into a tape recorder – in her mix of Italian and Spanish – about events I had never heard of before. She told me about life in the First World War, the days under Mussolini, how the family lost everything in the Second World War and why they decided to emigrate to Argentina. She had a unique ability to make History come alive. I spent many more afternoons in that kitchen, listening to her memories, trying to understand how the family history linked to political events. At the same time, I watched her prepare her special Italian dishes. Before I realised, History had become a passion in my life, and I had developed a love for cooking.

Continued on page 20

At the age of 16, I left Argentina for Wales on a scholarship. It was a life-changing experience. I was fascinated by the possibility of meeting people of different nationalities and backgrounds, all of whom had stories to tell, and I thoroughly enjoyed my History course. I had a wonderful teacher who helped me put the family history into an academic context and find answers to many of my questions.

I returned to Argentina to study International Relations and became a teacher almost by accident. When I visited my old school to say hello, I was asked: “How would you like to work here for a few hours a week while you study at University?” Those few hours turned into twenty years and another rewarding life experience. I had the opportunity to ignite in many of my students the passion for and pleasure of studying History. My years at St Catherine’s Moorlands are full of fond memories. I am incredibly grateful for the many opportunities to develop new and exciting projects in my History Department.

My MA in Latin American Studies allowed me to delve into the relationship between the Arts and History, particularly how the Arts “told the story” of revolutions in Mexico, Russia, and Cuba. In addition, I developed workshops to encourage teachers to explore the many alternatives transdisciplinary teaching provides when combining History with Literature, Music or Visual Arts. Between 2004 and 2018, I was also a Senior History examiner and workshop leader for an international exam board and published five textbooks. At the end of 2018, I concluded that what I most wanted was to go back to inspire the passion for History in other people. So, I gave up my job and founded “Gossip Well Told”. “Gossip Well Told” invites participants to approach the lives of some of the people who have shaped the twentieth century while enjoying a three-course meal. We explore how literature, music and visual arts have portrayed Che Guevara, Eva Perón, Frida Kahlo, Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev, among others. Each meal relates to the character of the evening. Participants outside Argentina are welcome to join us virtually (via Zoom) and have a hands-on experience at preparing some of the meals with our recipes! My lifelong passion for History is the most precious gift my great grandmother has given me. As a result, I have enjoyed every stage of my career: teaching, researching, writing and – more recently – developing a new and original way to continue igniting that passion in others.

If you would like to know more about Gossip Well Told, you can contact Daniela at: Daniela@historyafferoffice.com Below: Chef Silvina Blanco and Daniela preparing for An Evening With Frida Kahlo. Credit: Daniela Senés