Bringing people in from the cold: 20 years of METMs

This year we’ve been celebrating our 20-year milestone with a new MET history page, anniversary choir lyrics, a bite-sized “MET is…” video, and a plenary panel looking back on MET’s first 20 years. Having joined MET halfway along that timeline, I was particularly eager to hear what panellists and founder members Mary Ellen Kerans and Alan Lounds had to say, and was of course rooting for fellow council members past and present, Kim Eddy and Hayley Smith.

The stunning Aula Magna with its Modernista architecture set the scene beautifully, but sadly its acoustics and sound system left the audience straining to hear. Audio issues aside, panel moderator and past council member Helen Oclee-Brown came up trumps. She engaged with the panellists, giving them time to exchange comments and reflect on the whys and the wherefores of all things MET. Here are some lightly paraphrased snippets from topics they touched on.

MET’s origins

[Mary Ellen] Our backgrounds varied greatly, but many of us were manuscript workers and we naturally consulted each other to fill in our knowledge gaps. We needed a more systematic way to meet each other and compare notes. In the process of founding MET, we soon began learning more ourselves.

Learning by training; light theory

[Alan] If you wanted a workshop on something, then you went and researched that topic – found out more about it. And by doing that, you were able to share your knowledge with other people. This is a long MET tradition, you know: we learn by teaching others.

[Mary Ellen] We insisted on theory. One thing we learned from our Sea of Words project (a collaborative editing group – very formative for many of us) is that it’s tough if you don’t have some theory. But we couldn’t have too much either, because we’re not a university, so it’s “light theory”, as coined by Ailish Maher.

Bringing people in from the cold

[Alan] Bringing people together means welcoming everybody and making sure no one is left out.  So we had shared meals, a closing dinner, and then, from METM11 on, we organized off-METM tables, which are more intimate and help you engage with more people.

Helpers

[Alan] People have been very generous with their time, and as a result, the organization has become smoother and smoother over time. As Louise Normandière said recently, “MET is now a well-polished machine”.

[Helen] Council do work incredibly hard.

[Kim] And we’re all volunteers. Every single member has the potential to be a helper. It’s absolutely crucial, I think, because, as MET grows, we need more and more help to keep council sustainable. Helping can’t become a full-time job for anyone, so no role is too small.

Peer review

[Kim] The first time I reviewed an abstract was for METM12 in Venice.  Valerie Matarese – a long-time member with a scientific background – was instrumental in guiding me through the process. That’s peer knowledge sharing at its best.

[Hayley] People come to METMs because the quality is high; that’s always the ultimate aim. And anonymous peer review plays a vital part. It’s a way you can get involved, too. We all know how to analyse things critically. You’re reading with fresh eyes and thinking: What’s the takeaway message here? Will attendees be interested? Are there any gaps? Is there some way we can make this better? 

One presenter said that peer review is like having your hair washed: some hairdressers seem to yank and scratch, while others massage… and you come out feeling: Somebody’s taken care of me!

Non-language-related skills gained from time on council

[Alan] Speaking in public
[Kim] Leadership skills
[Hayley] Crisis management!

Content highlights and the buzz

[Helen] I remember a brilliant talk at METM14 by Melanie Rockenhaus. The main thing I took away was that you can be really, really niche as long as there’s a market.

[Alan] John Swales’s superb keynote talk at METM08 and his work on discourse analysis. It has informed a lot of my work ever since.

[Mary Ellen] The excitement in the METM05 feedback survey! I still remember reading: “I can’t wait to go home and get busy on that translation and do it better.”

The excitement our founders felt mirrors the feeling I had reading the METM25 feedback. Here are some snippets summing up the panel:

Such an enjoyable conversation, taking us back to our roots.
The panel was self-indulgent and rightly so!
A fascinating glimpse into the history of MET.

A heartfelt thank you to our founders for bringing us in from the cold.

Bring on the next 20 years!

This METM25 panel was chronicled by Emma Goldsmith.

Featured photo by METM25 photographer Julian Mayers.