Time for my final blog post! Below is a round up of what has been going on in the PhD world this past month. But before we get onto that, I wanted to say thank you to everyone that has read or shared my posts, or contributed to the blog, over the last six months. It has been such a pleasure to look after this little corner of the internet, sharing my thoughts on the PhD experience and hearing about some of the amazing things other PhD students have been getting up to. When I took over from Marianne at the start of the year she said exactly what I would like to say now in her ‘farewell’ post: “We’re part of a very special community and it’s extremely heartening to see so many people that are passionate about the research they’re doing.”

I do feel incredibly lucky to be a part of this SGSAH / PhD community, and to have had this opportunity to play an active role over the past six months. We all need as much motivation as we can get, and I hope this blog helps with that at least a little bit! During my time as resident SGSAH blogger we’ve covered all kinds of PhD related subjects, from planning conferences to utilising your free time wisely, and of course, PhD dogs. Of the 54 posts published since the start of February, I am thrilled to say that my most popular post was my piece on ‘Imposter Syndrome at Hogwarts’, and our most popular guest post was Maxine Branagh-Miscampbell’s piece on ‘The Realities of the PhD Baby’!

We all have such different experiences of PhD life, and I know this will continue to be reflected in the posts of the next blogger. I am very much looking forward to following along when Joanna Rodgers takes over next week, and I’ve been reassured that the dog photos will continue, so don’t worry. I’ll probably be taking a little break from blogging while I finish my PhD (eek), but you can always find me on Twitter @luciewhitmore! 

Goodbye from me & from Birdie! 

Back to the July Round-Up

This month we were treated to some fascinating guest posts on the blog. Mhairi Brennan shared her experiences of writing a topical thesis, and Hannah Yoken discussed her recent SDF funded research trip to Sweden and Finland. We also heard from three PhD students that have recently undertaken SGSAH funded residencies: Katerina Talianni, Daphne de Sonneville and Théophile Krosi-Douté. As previously mentioned, I got to write about dogs and Hogwarts, and I also wrote an account of my very first visit to the British Library – I already can’t wait to go back!

Now, a round up of blogs, podcasts, CFPS and other bits and pieces that have caught my eye this month:

Blogs

• Ever been the ‘token woman’ at an academic event? Some really interesting pointers on how to deal with this situation from historian Dr Ciara Meehan https://ciarameehan.com/2017/06/11/advice-token-woman/
• Advice on how to start podcasting your research(something I am itching to do!) from the always helpful Thesis Whisperer https://thesiswhisperer.com/2017/07/19/how-to-start-podcasting-your-research/
• One to save for a rainy day: reasons to be cheerful about doing a PhD from Laura Harrison over on Pubs & Pubs http://www.blogs.hss.ed.ac.uk/pubs-and-publications/2017/07/10/phd-silver-linings/
• An interesting example of how are research can be become both relevant and important, from historian Dr Benjamin Thomas White  http://www.keblog.arts.gla.ac.uk/2017/07/19/refugee-voices/
• I’ve really enjoyed following or taking part in Museum Hour recently, a weekly twitter discussion about museums. This week a handy blogpost was shared about what life is like as an early career museum professional:  http://www.londonmuseumsgroup.org/2013/10/11/low-life-early-career-museum-professionals/
• You can also follow all the recent Museum Hour discussions on Storify (included the night I hosted on the subject of dress in museums!) https://storify.com/museumhour 

CFPS

• Just one day left to get your abstracts in for this event at the National Army Museum, on being a woman in military history (deadline July 28, covers travel costs) https://www.nam.ac.uk/whats-on/5×15-talks-women-military-history  
• War Through Other Stuff (the project I co-organise) are editing a special themed issue of the British Journal for Military History! Deadline for article abstracts is September 1st. More info here:  https://warthroughotherstuff.wordpress.com/journal/ 
• The New Research in Military History conference (University of Cambridge, November 2017) seeks abstracts that explore the many faces of war. Deadline September 1st:  http://bjmh.org.uk/index.php/bjmh/pages/view/callforpapers 
• Collage, Montage, Assemblage: Collected and Composite Forms, 1700-Present (University of Edinburgh, April 2018). Very excited about this one, already working on my abstract! Deadline December 1st:  https://collagemontageassemblage.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/call-for-papers/
• Decorating Dissidence Conference (Queen Mary, November 2017) – taking an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to the work of female artists, designers, and writers to reassess the place of domestic art, craft, and the decorative in modernism. Deadline September 8th: https://decoratingdissidence.wordpress.com/call-for-papers/
• Remember Me. The Changing Face of Memorialisation (April 2018, Hull). Deadline September 1st: https://remembermeproject.wordpress.com/events/

Podcasts

I keep meaning to include a full podcast section in this monthly post and as now is my last chance, here it is! I’ll start with my personal favourites, a list of podcasts that use research in interesting ways, tell fascinating stories, or simply serve as a welcome distraction from the PhD.

• 99 Percent Invisible – stories of design and human experience, beautifully told by Roman Mars & co. http://99percentinvisible.org/ 
• Witch, Please – a feminist critical reading of the Harry Potter world. So. Good. http://ohwitchplease.ca/
• The Moth – ‘the art and craft of storytelling’. I cry pretty much every episode. www.themoth.org
• You Must Remember This – all the stories you didn’t know about Holywood & film. http://www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/
• Short Cuts (BBC) – more storytelling, with the wonderful Josie Long.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mk3f8/episodes/downloads
• This American Life (See also: S- Town, Serial).  https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast 
• The Allusionist – deep explorations of language and how we used it https://www.theallusionist.org/ 
• Ear Hustle – my new favourite, stories from inside prison.  https://www.earhustlesq.com/
• Containers – if you thought your PhD subject was too niche to podcast, think again: https://soundcloud.com/containersfmg

I also asked the ever-helpful Twitter-sphere for their favourite podcasts (PhD related or otherwise) and got the following recommendations: I can’t wait to check them all out!

• Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History (lots of votes for this one!)
• Viva Survivors
• Mindpop Podcast (a podcast about ideas, politics, and culture)
• PhDivas
• The Whiskey Rebellion (an American History podcast)
• Back Story Radio (stories behind the news)
• In the Past Lane (history and why it matters)
• Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History (re-interpreting the past)
• Ben Franklin’s World (early American history)
• The Modernist Podcast (modernism, art, literature & culture)
• The Irish Passport (Irish culture, history and politics)
• Bookshambles (More Josie Long (hooray!) – people talk about the books they love)

Thanks so much to everyone who shared their podcast suggestions on Twitter. That list should keep you all busy during the “summer break”(!) That’s it from me, the SGSAH blog will be back next week with a brand new resident blogger!