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Desert Island Discs. A long-running BBC Four radio programme in which guests, or “castaways”, select eight recordings (usually music), one book, and one luxury item to take with them to a desert island. I confess, I don’t listen to it often, but I am always intrigued to see what certain people I admire or am interested in select as their options. Recently, my friend Natasha Gibson, who works in the National Museum of Scotland up in Edinburgh, had to select her Desert Island Discs for a display. Inspired by her choices, I decided to select my own. Or at least, those I would pick atRead More →

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One thing I have learnt as I approach the end of the first year of my PhD (part-time), is that it is not only important to take breaks, but essential. I am already a huge advocate for self-care; it is something I preach to my friends, family, and students, even if it is something I’m not always good at practicing myself. I have found that, since starting a supposedly lonely and isolating course of study, I’ve actually been a lot more social, and having a lot more fun.Read More →

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In July of 2018, the m/m romance author Leta Blake wrote a Facebook post discussing her reaction to the criticisms received on her Heat of Love novel series. The criticism itself came from a gay cis male reader who claimed that the novels were highly offensive as they depicted mpreg (male pregnancy). I intended to write a blog about the subject for a while and have unfortunately only just got around to it. This blog is not actually about Blake’s books, the reaction from her reader, and the ensuing debate. That has long passed, and also I don’t feel qualified to discuss it further. ThisRead More →

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2018 was a year of beginnings. I began my PhD, I began my second job, and I began attending and presenting at conferences. It has been a difficult and stressful time, but a rewarding one too. My first journey into postgraduate research began with my PhD application back in January. Rushed as it was (I had to meet a funding deadline. I ultimately didn’t get the funding but I did get down to the final applicants), I feel like I drafted an interesting research proposal, and staff at MMU were certainly interested in accepting me as a self-funded researcher. Usually, this would have entirely ruledRead More →