M/OTHERWORDS

From ‘too perfect mothering’ to ‘frontline warriors for the species’, join us on the read! Is motherhood a profession, ‘a secret sisterhood’ or ‘a privilege and a pain’? We will read into motherhood with a rich mix of 16 writings from: a 17th century poet, a 1930’s novelist, a contemporary philosopher, and others. We hear the words of people who have birthed, adopted or chosen not to parent.

As always, grab a cup of tea and join us on Zoom. Babies and children welcome. Advance reading and literary expertise not required!

Our unique groups provide all the reading material you need: short extracts from a range of writings on motherhood. You get these on-screen in the session, and the facilitator – Rebecca – reads them out.

You can easily join in while caring for your baby and children. In fact, being online means you can take part wherever you may be. Our groups are warm, friendly, relaxed, allowing you to simply listen in with no pressure. There’s a chance to hear from others, share your thoughts in a small break-out group, if you wish, or just observe.

You don’t need to be a bookworm or book expert! We use poems, extracts from memoirs, novels and journals; we go historical and cultural; we take on writers who are well-known as well as the ones to be discovered; we give voice to emotions, situations and experiences relating to motherhood. The facilitator, Rebecca, will comment on the writings, and there will be pointers for discussion.

Groups meet weekly for 1 ¼ hours for 4 weeks.