Research Colleague

Research Colleague, Mentor, Sounding Board, Ally, Best Friend and Sternest Critic for our new Memoirs Writing project.

We are looking to facilitate an Emeritus Professor now in his 90s to frame a memoir of his rich life - from his immigrant family moving to the East End of London - his evacuation through the war - through to his work as a Hospital Consultant and University Academic.

We are looking for innovative ways to support this project. This includes our arranging sympathetic but probing interviews, recordings, conversations write ups etc. But the Professor himself most misses a colleague to discuss his memories, help him research online forgotten data, advise him of what is genuinely interesting or relevant or significant and what is distinctly not. Keeping the subject focussed on and not diverting down rabbit holes will be an important part of the task.

Experience in either medicine or literature is of course an advantage but someone who has years' of collegiate working practice experience- as a teacher - or as a mentor - or as a secretary or in another role is more important.

It is envisaged that the work will be done by one to one in person meetings and on the telephone.

We are looking for someone with skills and experience (formal or informal) in online research, especially historical, fact checking and medical. But even more important we are looking for an individual with proven skills / experience (formal / informal) of working with unusual (in this case elderly) minds and offering patient but firm counselling in recording memories.

First and foremost the volunteer will play a vital role in seeing that this work - part memoir, part written record of conversations - memories going back to before the 2nd World War, get written, and well written.

But more than this - if we can find a way to unlock the potential of this literary endeavour we believe that we can offer this approach to a number of elderly individuals with fascinating stories to tell but who need a distinct methodology to assist. You will be helping us to be pilot the idea of developing the creativity in a range of members of the community.