Saturday 1st July - Germaine Greer at Hull By Laura Kilvington

As a enthusiastic follower of feminist literature, I attended the talk by Germaine Greer with the expectation of an intense, second wave feminism discussion like the, all societies on the verge of death are masculine (Greer:1984) type opinions which I associated with her. Instead, the rubric of Greer's discussion was Anne Hathaway, the older and greatly overlooked wife of William Shakespeare, and the subject of her eagerly awaited new book.

Greer utilised the audience as a sounding board for her own opinions on the uncertain history and the incoherent contemporary criticism of Shakespeare's marriage, drawing largely from socio-historical readings.

The prompted audience participation and Greer's quick-witted, articulate, yet relatively colloquial style, created an intimate atmosphere which helped to accommodate each individual audience member who varied in age and in previous knowledge of Elizabethan England. Her discussions ranged from the role of women, their legal status and their education in the 16th century, provoking thoughts on Anne Hathaway's own fight for autonomy in a society governed by patriarchal control.

Overall, Greer's performance offered the audience a fascinating insight into an alternative facet of Greer's study, far from the sensationalised feminism I had expected. The only disappointment was that time ran short and there was no opportunity to ask questions.

However, this was very much compensated for by my own personal highlight of the evening, a book sighing in the foyer of the theatre, which concluded an incredibly enjoyable evening. In short, Greer entertained, enthralled and educated, negotiating her findings less vehemently and in a more open-minded manner than expected, a truly astounding experience.

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