PhD Viva and Other Stuff

Viva!

Those of you who are not on social media may not know that I passed my PhD viva last Wednesday, with ‘minor typographical amendments’. This means I was given an A4 list of typos to correct, and I have to insert four paragraphs of text into my thesis to explain/develop what I’ve written. I’ve been given two weeks to do these amendments.

At first when I was given the list, I must admit my heart sank as it sounded like a lot. And I don’t know if anyone else has this but trying to enter into a piece of writing that is finished is a bit like putting on a shoe that is slightly too small – it feels uncomfortable and I have to wriggle around a lot to remember how it fitted in the first place.

Anyway, I can’t complain to much as I’ve done the amendments listed this week, so they were not too onerous. The most annoying thing is that inserting the paragraphs in messes up all my page numbers, which in a choose your own adventure thesis where the reader is directed to turn to one page or another at the end of each section is a bit of a problem! But only an irritating time-consuming problem rather than anything more serious. I’m planning on sorting the page numbers out tonight, in my night-owl working time (after the baby has gone to bed). I usually save this time to do tasks like this, that don’t need too much brain power.

The picture above is of the lovely surprise afternoon tea that my husband ordered, obviously in full confidence that I would pass! I scoffed pretty much everything you can see in the picture within five minutes of the viva finishing.

Other News

Throughout August, I decided to concentrate on preparing for my viva, so I stopped most of my freelance work. However now it is over, I will be running some online workshops, so please watch this space!

I can tell you that there are some spaces left for an online residential course that I’m running on behalf of the Garsdale Retreat. The course runs from the 5th-9th October 2020 and the guest poet is the wonderful Kerry Darbishire.

You can find more information about the course here: https://thegarsdaleretreat.co.uk/course-category/moore-kim/ but the price of £400 includes eight 90 minute workshops, one, 60 minute workshop, one 30 minute individual tutorial, evening readings/entertainment including both a tutor and guest reading plus afternoon chat room. A bargain!

If you missed out on a chance to book a ticket for my event ‘Poetry and Everyday Sexism’ on 29th September and you would still like to come, please add your name to the waiting list, which you can find here
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-and-everyday-sexism-tickets-116574211605

I’m swithering about whether to upgrade my Zoom plan so that I can have more than 100 people in the audience, or whether to just put on another reading of the thesis at another date, and the length of the waiting list will obviously help me make this decision!