My mother, Jane Mace, who has died aged 79 following a stroke, was a writer, researcher and pioneering educator in the field of adult literacy.
In her work in London – as director of the Cambridge House Adult Literacy Scheme in the 1970s; as head of Lee Community Education Centre, Goldsmiths’ College, in the 80s and 90s; and as senior lecturer in adult literacy education at South Bank University in the late 90s and early 2000s – Jane demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the idea of adult literacy as a social movement.
Recognising that the UK of the 70s and 80s was neglecting huge sections of the population who lived with both poverty and poor-quality education, she put herself at the heart of developments in the teaching of reading and writing for adults. Importantly, she changed the conversation: when the learning of literacy was dominated by an emphasis on reading skills, Jane put equal weight on writing.
She wrote prodigiously herself, publishing countless articles and multiple books, including Working With Words (1979) and The Give and Take of Writing (2002), engaging tirelessly with crucial and sometimes neglected aspects of literacy learning; challenging prejudices, and designing strategies that encourage people to believe that their voices are worth hearing.
Later in her life, Jane discovered Quakerism. The strength offered by a community premised on the sharing of experience, equality and peace became very precious to her. The great significance of words in her chosen faith was a source of continuing fascination. She would often write, and speak publicly, with characteristic liveliness, about Quakers’ relationship with language.
Her commitment to social justice, feminism and peace continued throughout her life, and she contributed to many campaigns and movements, including serving as an ecumenical accompanier in Palestine and Israel.
She was also immensely creative. While in Oxford in the 60s, she was part of a group of singers, dancers and actors who were prepared to give any ideas a go, and see where they went, performing in several productions including Hang Down Your Head and Die. She carried this spirit throughout her life, developing late passions for learning Welsh and playing the cornet.
A devoted mother, grandmother and friend, she had an infectious smile, and radiated determination, energy and curiosity about other people.
Jane was born in Bournemouth, to Mary (nee Whiskard) and William Sommerville. Mary, an active community member, and William, a solicitor, settled in Bristol where Jane attended school. She then went on to study modern languages at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, before moving to London where she lived for 35 years. She married Rodney Mace, my father, in 1967; they divorced in 1999. In 2002, she moved to Gloucestershire where , in 2016, she met John Geale through the Quakers – he had also worked in adult education – and they were married shortly after.
Jane is survived by John, and by the two children of her first marriage, Joe and me, five grandchildren, her sister, Anne, and her brother, Nigel.
