Crone Spoken Library 2022
What is a Crone Spoken Library?
(Please note, our methodology and format is very different from the Human Library methodology in Denmark and as such, we would like to stress that this is NOT an official humanlibrary.org event, though we love their work, and do hope to explore working with them in future!)
At our Crone Spoken Library, visitors (‘the readers’) challenged their perceptions of life after 50 for women in the UK. The readers chose a ‘book cover’ from the pop up library, then were paired up with the ‘real human’ whose lived experience inspired that book cover. They had 30 minutes to explore 1-2-1, through conversation, the unique lived-experience of female ageing.
👇🏽 Listen to the organiser, Justine Gaubert and Crone Book ‘Grandma Joan Williams’ talking to Paulette Edwards on BBC Radio Sheffield about the project, and the positive ageing movement.👇🏽
Justine Gaubert with Crone Book Joyce Williams.
What did participants say about the Crone Spoken Library?
Have a listen to this! 👇🏽 🥰
How does the Crone Spoken Library work?
Step 1. Browse the book titles and pick a book cover!
Readers (mostly younger women) pick a book cover that interests them. The book cover features a precis of an older woman’s ‘story’. Check out a few of our crone book covers below. 👇🏽
(All human books sourced and covers individually designed and written by Justine Gaubert).
Step 2. Meet the human book and listen to their story of positive ageing.
The ‘reader’ then gets paired up with the ‘real human’ behind the book title they have picked and they have 30 mins together to listen and talk. If both parties agree, the conversation is also recorded for the Crone Digital Library.
Step 3. After 30 minutes, return the book cover to the ‘library’ and select another cover.
And the process starts again.
The results!
Can you remember the last time 21 women in midlife and later life sat down to share their stories and experiences of getting older, with younger women 1-2-1? Holding the magical space for that to happen was incredible. Seeing the tears, the laughs, the spontaneous holding of hands and hugs…
Here’s just a few of the social media posts and emails we received…
More information about the Crone Spoken Library
Where did the idea come from?
The idea of a ‘Crone Spoken Library’ was conceived by Justine Gaubert and Juliann Hall, following the success of Juliann’s spoken library event at South Yorkshire Housing Association.
Juliann had been inspired by the Danish storytelling tradition https://humanlibrary.org and The Living Library, and created her own version and format with South Yorkshire Housing Association’s Human Library.
In these traditions, a ‘book’ is a person that volunteers to represent a stigmatised group using their personal experiences to answer questions from ‘readers’.
Justine then further developed the idea of a ‘crone’ human library in partnership with Dr Lorna Warren and Dr Pam Mckinney of the University of Sheffield, as part of the 2022 ‘Festival of the Mind’.
Festival of the Mind is a biennial celebration of the University of Sheffield's world-class research, showcasing collaborative projects produced by academics from the University and artistic talent from Sheffield's creative industries.
What was the aim of our Crone Spoken Library?
The aim of our Crone Spoken Library event was to reduce stereotypes and prejudices around female ageing and menopause, providing a sacred space for listening, as women share positive stories of ageing with new generations.
Why was our Crone Spoken Library needed?
The narrative around getting older as a woman is still largely one driven by fear. And yet, a recent report by the Centre for Ageing Better revealed that women in their 70s feel most positively about their age, though these positive stories are not getting through to younger women and girls.
We wanted to do our bit to add to an alternative, more positive narrative and celebrate some of the positives that our ‘third act’ can offer.
Want to run a Crone Spoken Library or find out more?
Contact Justine Gaubert for more information. We’re currently developing a toolkit for other groups to licecne.
Or if you’d like to run an official Danish Human Library with a full range of - why not check out their website and apply through them?
How can you help?
We will be seeking funding from other places to run a version of the Crone Human/Spoken Library again - I’d love to take it tour to schools! If you are interested in being a ‘book’, or know someone who would make a great book, drop us line.
We have many hours of audio from some of the stories collected at the event and would love to turn these into a Crone Digital Library. However, will need some funding for this, so do give me a shout if you can chuck some money in to get the digital library up and running!
Further reading
Now Then Interview with Justine about Crone Club and the Crone Human Library by Felicity Hoy.
University of Sheffield podcast with Dr Lorna Warren and Dr Pam McKinney and Justine Gaubert, recorded by Kits Bits for the Festival of the Mind.
Grandma Williams - Joyce William’s blog.
Greenham Common stories - Greenham Women Everywhere.
And finally, huge thanks to…
All our Crone Club volunteers and helpers, especially Juliann Hall, Joanne Mateer, Lisa Hough, Louise Smith, Julie Turner. WITHOUT YOU WE ARE NOTHING!!! 😘
All our incredible crone books.
All our beautiful crone readers.
Our fabulous partners at Festival of the Mind and The University of Sheffield, Dr Lorna Warren and Dr Pam McKinney, and those who were helpful over the two days, especially Nigel Fisher and Kits Bits and the technical guy who stepped up to help last minute!