Riposte #4: Live
12th June 2015
To celebrate the launch of our latest issue we hosted our fourth ‘live’ session where we invited people who featured in our magazine to take to the stage to talk through their work, passions or perspectives. For our latest event we had a packed schedule of inspiring speakers including Alex Tieghi-Walker of The Anonymous Sex Journal, Anne-Marie Imafidon of STEMettes, Lindsey Hilsum from Channel 4 News and our cover star Eno Williams, lead singer of Ibibio Sound Machine.
The latest incarnation of The Anonymous Sex Journal nestles snuggly in issue #4 of Riposte and founder Alex took to the stage first to start the proceedings. He gave a really warm and generous talk as he took us through the journal's beginnings, how the anonymous nature of the submissions allow people to be more honest than they perhaps are in real life about their sexual exploits and his hopes for the future. Stay tuned for where he takes it next.
Anne-Marie Imafidon, who features in an essay on power, took us through how she inspires girls and young women to get into science, technology, engineering and maths. She showed some funny examples of how technology and life collide (party setting in your room anyone?) and proved to be just as inspiring in person as she is in her writing and online.
Lindsey Hilsum left everyone agog and basically wanting more as she talked about her life on the frontline as the international editor and reporter for Channel 4 News. She talked about her experiences reporting from Israel, Libya, Cameroon and gave very honest accounts of the difficulties faced by the people she meets and the stories she brings to our screens. As much as she protests she’s not, in our eyes she’s fearless. She has an incredible energy and brought a great sense of humour to some very hard-hitting issues. When asked how she reintegrates to everyday life after being on an assignment she replied, “my story and my life isn’t any more important than anyone else’s. Other people’s DIY problems are real. I mean I have a real issue with slugs in my back garden!” Lindsey we love you!
We closed the evening with a beyond beautiful performance from Eno Williams of Ibibio Sound Machine. She paired down the set to her voice, an acoustic guitar and percussion but it couldn’t have been more full of life. Uplifting, infectious and utterly brilliant. She left everyone on a high. Thanks Eno.
