Claire Taylor is a final year English and Modern History student at the University of St. Andrews. In 2021 she was awarded the Laidlaw Research and Leadership Scholarship. Under the supervision of Dr. Bernhard Struck, she conducted research for the project “Local Internationalists? Scotland’s connection to the global world of Esperanto, c.1890-1920.” Her particular focus was on the role of women and questions of gender within the Esperanto movement in Britain. Claire’s research uncovered a range of local women from Scotland engaging with Esperanto, including doctors, chemists, dressmakers, and journalists. While several were from Edinburgh and attended international congresses – such as Antwerp in 1911 – others acted primarily as local internationalists using the language for a variety of purposes, interests, and international correspondence. She continues to work on the Esperanto movement in Scotland and on the multidimensional experiences of Scottish women Esperantists. She is also part of the curating team preparing an exhibition revolving around Esperanto in Scotland to be hosted by the Wardlaw Museum of the University of St Andrews in spring 2023.
