I am a second-year creative writing postgraduate research student (thesis working title: ‘Reclaiming Cabaret. A Queer Haunted Autoethnography Of Real, Researched And Imagined Stories Of Cabaret Past And Present’). The creative element of my thesis is my autoethnographic novel, Blond Angel, - a queer haunted recollection of my life in a small touring cabaret dance company in Italy between 1980-1986. This exposes the gap in recent dance history, pertaining to British dancers who worked the cabaret nightclubs of Europe in the 1970s and 1980s. I also story people and places from the origins of the modern cabaret in fin-de-siècle Paris, bringing the past and present together in a magically real space, where real, researched and imagined lives meet, haunt and interact within my lived experience. The critical reflection evolves the use of the autoethnographic novel as a qualitative research methodology, valuing personal and evocative writing as equal to conventional academic research. This approach resists the patriarchal discourse of traditional academic narratives.

Tonight, I’m an Academic Star: Top Tips for Applying, Preparing and Presenting at Conferences 

The idea of attending and presenting at academic conferences can seem incredibly intimidating for PhD students. Drawing on his wide range of experiences at conferences around the world, this PhD candidate provides advice and tips on applying, preparing, attending, and presenting at an academic conference. Remember to enjoy your brief time in the spotlight, and remember your presentation is really only a small element of the event!

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Six Ways To Prepare For Your Upcoming PhD

Dr Chris Thompson offers six ways to prepare for a PhD. Alongside finding rest, students should reach out to current PhD students or experienced academics to absorb their wisdom, research their new surroundings, and connect with future colleagues to create a network before starting.

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