Since the beginning of January, I’ve had one article rejected, one accepted and one commissioned. But, I’ve also reviewed a book proposal and two articles for journals in my field.…
Being Online
Every week there appears to be a new article telling you how to be an academic on social media and in the public eye. Apparently, you will lose out on…
Let us welcome the New Year
No sooner has the tryptophan from the turkey worn off, than people are trying to sell you a better vision of yourself, all the more seductive for the promise ‘It…
Moving On
The smell of alcohol and cinnamon is everywhere, but there is a stack of marking, moderation and final lectures to finish before I start listening to the Muppet Christmas Carol…
Giving your First Conference Paper
Giving your first conference paper can be a thoroughly unnerving experience. But, if you give it your best shot, it can be a massively rewarding experience that can lead to…
Networking for People Who Hate Networking
Here’s my confession: I am absolutely awful at networking but I somehow seem to know quite a lot of people in academia. I hate everything that is implied in the…
Writing Pact: Are you in?
Everyone knows the drill: you get a load of good, solid work done during the summer and then semester hits, with teaching, pastoral care, admin roles, grant applications and invited…
Teaching Difficulty
This semester I am teaching a course on Modernism, which has a focus on literature with some visual art and film. This is a final year course for our undergraduates,…
In Praise of Colleagues
This week, like many academics across the country, we are busy getting ready for the new term and our new and returning students. At my institution, we’ve been having a…
Back to School
As the evenings begin to draw in and I desire more knitwear with increasing fevour, there is no escaping the fact that semesters are beginning all over. The last two…