Catching up...

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Wow, my poor neglected blog! This is just a quick update, really to keep it resuscitated and put out there what I am currently up to. Kind of more of a speedily written diary entry...

I have had the wonderful delight of being named the winner of publisher Peter Lang's Young Scholars in Film Studies 2012 Award, the prize for which is the publication of my thesis as a monograph. My baby is coming to life. Slowly. I want to make it really good and ensure that it reads as a book rather than a PhD thesis, but am up against the REF2014 clock, so am responsive to all advice on this matter. Haven't quite stepped into the process yet, though. Trying to get the last few weeks of this semester's teaching preparation out of the way and respond to some interesting and highly relevant conference CfPs first. This has become much easier since resigning from my job in a shop, explained by an earlier post. The book contract changes the game and I am determined to go full throttle at trying to get some sort of academic post lined up for September/October 2013. Academia is where I am most happy and I want to be part of change - at home in NI, as a young woman finding her way in a persistently male-dominated field (i.e. film as well as the academy), and as someone infusing that field with fresh and expansive approaches.

Although I am very open to moving just about anywhere in the world for work, something is niggling at me that I need to be in Belfast right now. I have felt like this for some time. I am excited and proud to be part of the stirrings of change for the better here and this is something I want to keep pushing.

I am greatly enjoying teaching this year, it is so lovely to become reacquainted with films, directors, and issues you forgot you knew so much about. The best part is, my student seem to be enjoying this as well.

Anyway, onwards and upwards. Hopefully my next post will actually be about something!

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