A message from Society Chair, Seona Ford:
DLS and Zoom
A number of you have been able to enjoy the Zoom talks by Suzanne and Mo (do look at the reports of the talks elsewhere in this Bulletin). How lovely it was to see so many familiar faces, all looking pleased to be engaging with an interesting DLS-related topic. Suzanne and Mo did us proud with very different talks; the third one in March by BJ Rahn promises to be different.
I do wonder what DLS would make of Zoom. I actually think she might have approved. On 7 May 1941 she wrote to her son:
“I have been galloping round the country addressing meetings, carrying your letter with me in the hope of getting it answered, but I never seemed to get a moment for thinking in.”
That mention of thinking time is significant; she didn’t drive, so one might presume she had thinking time in the car, even writing time but then one remembers the condition of the roads in those days and the rough, cold and uncomfortable ride one had in many cars. I can remember the car we had inthe late 1940s – not a smooth ride – and we sometimes drove all the way from Essex to Scotland (400+ miles) with not amotorway in sight – most memorably in 1950 with Mac’s ashes in the boot after DLS had asked my father to scatter them in Scotland. So I think DLS might have appreciated Zoom. She would have been able to attend meetings and speak if requested; she would have made good use of the mute and no video facilities – and probably delighted audiences at less formal gatherings by allowing the appearance of a cat or two!
Winter at the Society
Despite lockdown the Society has been busy over the Winter. We’ve had online talks and we’ve also been planning events for the Spring and Summer. In addition to that we’ve been attending events organised by other organisations and institutions. One of the pleasures of our Zoom meetings is seeing the faces of members from across the globe.
Please do look at the Events page for more information about our plans for 2021 and if you are thinking of joining, please do get in touch. As we say, there is no entrance exam and it isn’t necessary to have read everything Dorothy L Sayers wrote. We’re an inclusive society and welcome everyone.
We were delighted to hear that writer and broadcaster Richard Osman has discovered the pleasures of reading DLS. He wrote on social media:
“I am currently reading a Dorothy L Sayers novel set in a 1930s advertising agency, and I now want to work in a 1930s advertising agency.”
We’ll leave you to guess the title of the novel.
Below are some of the interesting things we’ve been up to over the Winter:
· A talk from Professor Suzanne Bray on DLS and other members of the Detection Club broadcasting at the BBC;
· A talk from Dr Mo Moulton, author of The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women
If you are interested in reading reports of these events, they can be found in the Members’ Bulletin https://www.sayers.org.uk/bulletin. If you are thinking of becoming a member, we’d be happy to send you a copy of our latest Bulletin, so get in touch.
Spring and Summer Events
·A talk from Professor BJ Rahn on the illustrations for the short story ‘The Haunted Policeman.’
·An Easter get-together, either online or in person, as restrictions allow in your part of the world.
A May online play reading.
A June get-together on Dorothy L Sayers’ birthday, the 13th, online and in person according to restrictions.
Our Annual Convention in August at Somerville College, Oxford.