An embroidery I made for my dear friend and fellow Higher Education professional Rachel Reeds. It features a message it is important to remember both when writing and in general – to be kind to yourself, because self-compassion is essential.
Fiction
Blodeuedd. In this collection of short stories, I have a piece that reworks an old Welsh tale from the Mabinogion called Blodeuedd, about a girl made of flowers. I update it into a story about growing up in rural north Wales in the early 2000s.
Poetry
In 2023 I was delighted to be shortlisted for the New Writers’ Poetry Competition and to get an honourable mention in the New Writers’ Autumn micro-fiction competition 2023.
Magazine Articles
My Favourite Fictional Academic. In this piece for the Times Higher Education, I reflect on my favourite fictional academic on screen – Professor Annalise Keating, who in the final episode of US television series How to Get Away with Murder (2014-20), tells us who she is: ‘I’m ambitious, black, bisexual, angry, sad, strong, sensitive, scared, fierce, talented, exhausted.’ Professor Keating is an antidote to the kind of white, male, commitment-free academic depicted in so many campus fictions, and I adore her. In this article I explore representations of gender, trauma and loss in the context of Higher Education in this fascinating television series.
Blogs
The Benefits of the Long Haul Doctorate. This is a short blog published on the Thriving Part-Time website. It explores the challenges and rewards of taking a long time to complete a PhD whilst working in paid employment at a university and raising a young family.
My Journey Through Ideas In Education. I wrote this blog when I volunteered as a fellowship councillor for the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (RSA). It reflects on a series of workshops I facilitated about ‘big ideas’ in education.