Roberta Hewitt: Lost and Found in the Archives

About the Project

Roberta Hewitt: Lost and Found in the Archives brings a group of volunteers from across the country together to explore Roberta's collection of diaries, papers and letters.

Roberta was more than the wife of writer John Hewitt. Whilst family history is often channelled towards celebrated figures, our volunteers uncovered the many roles she played in a number of organisations and charities, as well as uncovering how she was a great thinker in her own right.

During this month-long project, the volunteers are taking part in a mix of online and in-person sessions. They are going on a behind-the-scenes tour of PRONI with staff Lynsey Gillespie (Archivist), Sarah Graham and Maud Gallagher (Conservation), Joy Carey (Reprographics & Digitisation) to learn how Roberta’s collection is looked after, preserved, and made digitally accessible to the public.

They are also taking part in a transcription workshop with archivist Lorraine Bourke (Private Records), guest talks about Roberta by writer Kelly McCaughrain and researcher Frank Ferguson (John Hewitt Society) and an animation workshop with filmmaker Dan Wilson.

Below you will find the outputs produced by the volunteers during this project.

If you want to learn more about Roberta Hewitt and see her full collection, check out PRONI’s online catalogue or schedule a visit to see her records in person.