WE'RE ALL GOING TO CAMBRIDGE

Chairman of SWWJ (pictured top) is looking forward to welcoming members to Cambridge this weekend. Professor Janet Todd is hosting this weekend conference which celebrates our fabulous 116-year-old organisation for writing women (and, since 2006 - male associates). We will be gathering at Lucy Cavendish College in Cambridge. On Saturday evening, Professor Todd (pictured right) will be presenting a talk based on Jane Austen's life.

This weekend, under the chairmanship of Jean Morris, is rather special in that we also celebrate the centenary of the birth of Joyce Grenfell, that wonderful actress/TV celebrity and president of the SWWJ for 22 years until her death in 1979. Currently, our life president is Baroness Shirley Williams with Nina Bawden CBE as our president. Our patrons include, Sir Tim Rice, Simon Brett, Lord Randolph Quirk, The Earl of Stockton, among other luminaries. My book THE WOMAN WRITER was written with Joyce Grenfell's special birthday in mind and will be sold at the Weekend Conference.

The delegates are coming from around the world and we have interesting speakers attending, such as Felix Francis (son of the famous Dick Francis), Jenny Rose, who appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe who will be performing a Joyce Grenfell monologue, Patrick Forsyth, Lynne Hackles, Paddy Gormley and other literary stars. It's going to be fun. http://www.austenps.com/life_and_times.html