Folio 2023

8th November 2023

With the second edition of Folio hot off the press, we were treated to a sample of Wimbledon High literary talent from this year’s contributors at the Folio Celebration Evening on 31 October. Beforehand, students attended a workshop run by our Guest Speaker, Claire Cohen (Class of 2003), and were able to quiz Claire on the ins and outs of a career in journalism and her writing process.

After Wimbledon High, Claire went on to study English Literature at the University of Birmingham, while at the same time beginning her career as a writer and editor on national newspapers. She spent several years as the Telegraph's Women's Editor, during which time she helped found the 'Women Mean Business' campaign to level the playing field for female entrepreneurs in the UK and which led to the Government commissioned Rose Review. Claire was named Women’s Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors in 2021 and has featured on a list of Britain's top 50 trailblazers for gender equality. Now a freelance journalist, she writes for publications including the Times, Guardian and Vogue. In 2022, she published her first book: 'BFF? The Truth About Female Friendship'.

In her welcome, Fionnuala Kennedy reiterated her thanks ‘for the gift of Folio’ and emphasised the need for creative writing as a reminder of ‘what it is to be human’ and a way of building empathy, particularly in a world of division and polarisation. Prompted by a tour of the school and a visit to her old form room, Claire recalled highlights of her schooldays – including playing Queen Victoria in ‘Sweeney Todd the Rock and Roll Show’ and swimming sessions in the outdoor pool. Making her literary debut in Year 4 when she got her first poem published in the WHS School magazine, Claire recalled the pride of seeing her name in print and the power that ‘the words had come from her brain and her pen’. She suggested to the assembled writers that writing needs to become a habit – write something every day – as it is a muscle you need to exercise, and that the writing with the most force is that which is relatable and tells a story that is universal. Claire said WHS had encouraged her to work hard and think big and passed on advice from her then English teacher to ‘write in her own voice’. It has been invigorating to receive so much positive feedback from the students afterwards, outlining how inspiring they found the workshop and the evening as a whole.

Thank you to all Folio 2023 Contributors who shared their work on the night:

Martha T – goodnight

Ada O – Guilt is a tree

Archana N – The memories food holds

Harriet Q – Your Worship

Sophia A – My Grandmother

Lauren A – Three Whales in a tank

Phoebe C – Vivat Rex

Tara B – 21st August 1997, Otaru

Oriana M – King of Birds

Yasmine G – Blood Diamonds

Libby T– The very guilty ladybird