Reading Old Cemetery: Beyond the Junction Arch

Author Biography

Yota Dimitriadi is a Professor of Computing Education at the Institute of Education, University of Reading. Her work on equity, diversity, and inclusion led her to the field of death studies. Since 2016, she has been active in raising awareness and fostering open discussion around grief support and bereavement training in educational settings. She has organised family- and school-focused events and workshops on grief and bereavement, and she also collaborates with the local charity Daisy’s Dream, organising bereavement training for pre-service and in-service teachers. Since 2020, Yota has led a project on the social history of Reading Old Cemetery, bringing together her interests in education, heritage, and community engagement. Jenny Halstead studied fine art before training and following a career as a medical artist specialising in surgical and anatomical illustration, then moving into natural history and dinosaur books for children in collaboration with her late husband, a palaeontologist. A professional artist and art teacher working in a range of media (including oil, watercolour, acrylic, pastel and monoprint), she is a member of the Chelsea Arts Society and the Pastel Society, President of the Wokingham Art Society, and a founder member of the annual Whiteknights Studio Trail in Reading. Jenny’s previous publications include 'An Artist’s Year in the Harris Garden' (2013), 'Silchester: Life on the Dig' (2015) and 'Ancient and Modern: The Role of a Berkshire High Sheriff' (2018).