I was thrilled when Sheonagh told me about her work on the WIMA history book project. The resilience, bravery, and tenacity of WIMA members has been consistently amazing me (to name just a few of the shining qualities), both past and present. However, it saddened me that I often learned about these remarkable women only through their obituaries. This realisation fuelled my passion for editing the WIMA GB newsletter. It became my way of contributing to the preservation of WIMA’s legacy, capturing the stories of its members and their achievements. I envisioned each newsletter not just as a resource for current members, but as a historical document that someone like me might read 50-75 years from now, pondering the thoughts and experiences of WIMA members.
The world has recently become aware of numerous instances where the contributions of women have been rediscovered after being largely forgotten or even erased from historical records. If we don’t take the initiative to document our own history, evidence suggests that the rest of the world is unlikely to do it for us.
When Sheonagh and Åsa accepted my offer to assist with the book, I wasn’t sure at first how I could contribute. However, when you believe in something happening and have the chance to help, you find a way. I began by translating mostly German articles and reports, digging through decades of newsletters entrusted to me by Sheila Whittingham for information, and compiling rally reports from records, reports, and invitations we uncovered. For the finished diamond jubilee edition, I researched and created timelines of national divisions and former officers, to complete those sections. I was also entrusted with the art of weaving the new national divisions, sections, and additional officer introductions into the book design created by Louise.
My hope for the next major edition is that it will be a lot quicker to put together, because we will have continued to collect and record, to preserve our legacy.
