Hi all! I’m Chiara, and I’ll be running the SGSAH blog for the next six months.

I’m a first-year PhD researcher at the University of Stirling. I’m still getting to grips with describing my research succinctly (perhaps that’s one of the things I’ll be able to improve on after speaking to more of you!) but here goes. I’m looking into the moral and ethical responsibilities of book publishers in the 21^st century. The direction my research is going in at the moment asks: how do we interact with, and can we enjoy, literature created by those accused of abusive and/or problematic behaviours? What about literature containing the prejudiced attitudes of its creators? How do book publishers handle this – if at all?

Here’s Jake Peralta and Terry Jeffords caught up in the kind of dilemma that inspired my research:

Sadly, it’s not all pop-culture references. It is, however, an area I feel passionate about having worked in the publishing industry for two years before starting my PhD, where I witnessed publishers and readers grappling with this issue.

I studied English Literature and Language at the University of Glasgow for my undergraduate degree before moving on to the MLitt in Publishing Studies at the University of Stirling. I’m one of those people that took their twee love of reading a little too far – from a bookseller at 16 to a PhD in publishing at 25, it’s safe to say books have consumed a lot of my life. Yes, I have cats – why do you ask?

I’m excited to be at the helm of the SGSAH blog for the next six months, and I have lots of ideas about how to continue making this a useful space for my fellow PhD-ers. But mostly, I want to hear from you. Want to share a bit about your research? Had an experience during your PhD you’re desperate to share? Have a problem with the way something is being done and want to talk about changing that? Feel like your voice is underrepresented in academia? Did you cook a killer recipe and want to share? (I’m seriously considering a ‘brain-food’ mini-series for this blog, but haven’t quite passed on that idea to the higher-ups yet…) If any of those ring a bell then PLEASE get in touch! This is your platform first and foremost. And hey, these things look nice on the ol’ academic CV when you’re talking about engagement, right?

You can send ideas to chiara.bullen@glasgow.ac.uk. Absolutely anyone doing a PhD in the Arts and Humanities is eligible to write a guest post. I look forward to hearing from you!