This morning, I accepted an offer from the University of York for their full time PhD programme. I will be researching children’s literature and literary tourism. (Aren’t you all impressed at how calmly I said that? Let’s just say the reality involves lots of WOARGH and buying of new pencil cases).
I’m ridiculously excited about it and the opportunity to wallow, in depth, in some of my most beloved texts. I’m hoping to look at things like Robin Jarvis and his ridiculously wonderful Whitby books, Enid Blyton and Bourne End and perhaps, just maybe, get chance to squeeze in some Chalet School books. There’s a chance for me to look at Noel Streatfeild and Madame Fidolia’s Children’s Academy of Dancing and Stage Training, or to read about the Jinny books by Patricia Leitch.
Basically, it’s a glorious, huge, topic and one that I’m very interested in (which is handy, as I’ve just signed up to study it for three years!). An opportunity to study this in depth is a great and exciting gift.
(And on a final note, if you’re a publishing / literary / heritage / museum type, who wants to be in on this research from day one, it may be worth us having a chat? One key driver of this research for me is for it to have practical, applicable and commercial interest. If you think I might be of use to you, please do get in touch. I’d love to hear from you
Daisy May Johnson 
What lovely news! And what a great topic.
thank you! 🙂
congratulations! very exciting news.
Thank you! 🙂
Fantastic, congratulations, sounds like a fascinating topic. We went to the Beatrix Potter exhibition and garden that are permanently in Dunkeld, Perthshire last year, they were really well done. I must admit part of my desire to see Austria and Switzerland is because of the Chalet School!
Yes, I am wondering how long it will be until I ‘justify’ a trip to the Achensee 🙂
How exciting! If you do want to look at EBD I know there are some New Chalet Club publications which may be of interest http://www.newchaletclub.co.uk/ncc_library/library2_lending_library_journals.htm and somewhere at my parents I have a booklet about exploring the Herefordshire CS locations, which I should be able to dig out for you (or at least remind myself of its name.)
That is so helpful, thank you! Let me know the name of that CS booklet sometime? :Thanks! 🙂
Sudden inspiration it is called Romance and the Reality and there is a reference to it here http://www.ju90.co.uk/nwf.htm
Thank you!
Great topic and you will love grad school (most of the time, anyway).
Oh, and I forgot, congratulations!
ha, thank you! 🙂
Oh my god this is amazing, I am so happy for you! 😀 I can’t wait to hear more about your research, it sounds fascinating!
Oh thank you!! 🙂
Many congratulations! It sounds wonderfully exciting. 🙂
Thank you! (It is!) 🙂
Fantastic! What a fascinating topic. I’m a teeny bit jealous (I wish I were just about to start my PhD again!). York is a fab university, in a lovely city (I did my MA there) even if it’s not quite as fab as Dartington 🙂 Just watch out for the snow geese when they nest 😉 Best of luck!
thank you! 🙂
Congratulations! I went to York for a year for an MA and it had an undeniable charm, though it wasn’t quite for me. The campus itself is such a curious hodge-podge, and there’s nothing quite like being chased by aggressive mother ducks when you’ve had a few drinks 😉
🙂 Thank you! (And I’ll watch out for the ducks!)