Somerville College was delighted to welcome the Laura Liswood Archive of Women World Leaders, which will now reside at Somerville, with a special celebration on Friday 17th October 2025.
The Laura Liswood Archive of Women World Leaders is an important resource documenting the evolution of the world’s only organisation dedicated to elevating the experiences and insights of women heads of state and government. Established in 1996, the Council of Women World Leaders’ mission is to promote good governance, enhance the experience of democracy and increase the visibility of women who lead at the highest levels.
Gallery: Welcoming the Laura Liswood Archive
MTST Director Jessica Mannix welcomes guests
Literature of the Margaret Thatcher Scholarship Trust
Viewing archival materials relating to Margaret Thatcher
Rt Hon Kim Campbell, Laura Liswood and Catherine Royle before the event
Somervillian Lucinda Coxon with Kim Campbell and Laura Liswood
Guests at the reception
Viewing archival materials relating to Margaret Thatcher
Guests at the Reception
Guests at the Reception
Viewing archival materials relating to Margaret Thatcher
Guests at the reception, including Professor Iyiola Solanke, one of Somerville'sTutorial Fellows in Law
Reviewing the archives
Guests at the reception, including Somerville's Librarian and ArchivistSarah Butler
Guests at the Reception
Guests at the Reception
Guests at the Reception
Literature of the Margaret Thatcher Scholarship Trust
Guests at the Reception
Guests at the Reception
Guests at the Reception
The panellists take to the stage
The Rt Hon Kim Campbell
Guests during the event
Guests during the event
Guests during the Q&A
The fireside chat continues
Principal Catherine Royle
Principal Catherine Royle
Taking questions from the audience
MTST Scholar and DPhil Law student Zoya Yasmine offers thanks at the end of the evening
The evening's speakers: Laura Liswood, Rt Hon Kim Campbell and Principal Catherine Royle
A Night to Remember
Held in association with the Margaret Thatcher Scholarship Trust, Somerville convened a special fireside discussion on 17th October to celebrate the opening of the archives. Joining our newly appointed Principal Catherine Royle on the panel were Laura Liswood, the trailblazing lawyer and author who has for decades curated the conversations that form the basis of the archives, and former president of Canada, the Rt Hon Kim Campell.
The occasion also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher, the UK’s first woman prime minister and a global leader of lasting renown. As the first woman premier of Canada, Kim Campbell was ideally places to join Laura and Catherine in reflecting on the history and future of women’s leadership.
Read Reflections on the Centenary of Margaret Thatcher’s Birth