Sara Haslam on the set of Parade's End, 2012 On Friday 29 January, the Society Executive Committee met virtually for an event to mark the end of my term of office as Chair. I took over from our illustrious founding Chair, Max Saunders, in 2008. This was the year our 14th Newsletter was published, of which more below. It was also just after a highpoint in our conference history: Genova in September 2007, where we were joined by an amazing duo of plenary speakers A. S. Byatt and Colm Toíbín.
It is, therefore, more than time that I step down in favour of new leadership. As I do so I wanted to record what a privilege and pleasure it has been to serve in the role, to meet and talk with those members who have made it to conferences or other events over the years, and to do what I can to promote knowledge and appreciation of this great writer. There are exciting times ahead, I know, and more to follow on those.
Some of my happiest moments as Chair have occurred when strangers wrote to share news about their discovery of Ford, or the books of his in their collection. He is a writer who encourages through his words the making of connections, even as we begin to approach the centenary of his death. This is one thing I love him for. And there have been other gems that I had forgotten, such as that recorded in Newsletter 14: the existence of an ‘experimental rock band’ named Ford Madox Ford – frontman Chip Kinman hadn’t then read Ford’s novels but liked the look and the rhythm of the name.
I should like to thank all those who have served on the Executive Committee alongside me, especially Max, of course, and our most recent recruits, Lucinda Borkett-Jones and Fiona Houston, for making time in busy professional lives to support the Society’s work. Although I’m sure I shall miss the role, I am delighted to be handing the Chair over to Seamus O’Malley, current President of our North American Chapter, and well-known scholar of Ford. The Atlantic is no object to Ford fans! Seamus and I organised a conference together in New York in 2010, and co-edited the resulting volume of International Ford Madox Ford Studies - both of which were hugely enjoyable and productive experiences. I wish him well as Chair and know the Society will thrive under his leadership.
It is, therefore, more than time that I step down in favour of new leadership. As I do so I wanted to record what a privilege and pleasure it has been to serve in the role, to meet and talk with those members who have made it to conferences or other events over the years, and to do what I can to promote knowledge and appreciation of this great writer. There are exciting times ahead, I know, and more to follow on those.
Some of my happiest moments as Chair have occurred when strangers wrote to share news about their discovery of Ford, or the books of his in their collection. He is a writer who encourages through his words the making of connections, even as we begin to approach the centenary of his death. This is one thing I love him for. And there have been other gems that I had forgotten, such as that recorded in Newsletter 14: the existence of an ‘experimental rock band’ named Ford Madox Ford – frontman Chip Kinman hadn’t then read Ford’s novels but liked the look and the rhythm of the name.
I should like to thank all those who have served on the Executive Committee alongside me, especially Max, of course, and our most recent recruits, Lucinda Borkett-Jones and Fiona Houston, for making time in busy professional lives to support the Society’s work. Although I’m sure I shall miss the role, I am delighted to be handing the Chair over to Seamus O’Malley, current President of our North American Chapter, and well-known scholar of Ford. The Atlantic is no object to Ford fans! Seamus and I organised a conference together in New York in 2010, and co-edited the resulting volume of International Ford Madox Ford Studies - both of which were hugely enjoyable and productive experiences. I wish him well as Chair and know the Society will thrive under his leadership.
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