Just seen this: Hull University are offering a PhD Scholarship in Creative Writing. Three years' fees and decent maintenance, if you can get it together to apply by the end of May:

PhD Scholarship in Creative Writing The Department of English offers one PhD scholarship in Creative Writing, to start in the session 2007-8. The Scholarship will include fees at the ‘home/EU' student rate and maintenance (£12,300 in 2006/7), for three years. Overseas students will need to apply for additional funding to cover the overseas fees, such as the Overseas Research Student Award Scheme. Applicants must be able to register before 31st July 2007. For further details and an application form, see University PhD Scholarships 2007 or email l.thomas@hull.ac.uk, supplying your name and postal address. Please include ‘PhD Scholarship in Creative Writing' in the subject box header. The closing date for applications is: 31 May 2007

Emma

Thanks, Emma.

I'm gonna give that a go.

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Oooh, hang on. Just had another reply from her saying she is going to check with the Director in case it has been extended (cos I told her it was being advertised with a closing date of 31st May). Never trust a receptionist, that's what I say. No one tells em nuffink.

Good luck, Sapph,

Dee

Yes, best of luck with it.

Emma

Grrr.

I got up this morning, all ready to write my proposal, which I did. It was a work of brilliance, and I was thinking, 'Damn, they are fools if they don't give this to me.'

But then I had a reply to the email I sent yesterday, saying there are no scholarships available, which is a bummer, cos their website clearly states that there are.

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Ah! It's ok. They have extended the deadline, but no one told the secretary.

Cool. I get the impression competition won't be THAT fierce - I've never heard of Hull being the hotbed of the Creative Writing world. Though I could be wrong . . . .

Well Philip Larkin was their librarian for a long time.

Yes, I gather they're really looking for submissions - hence the extended deadline. I heard of it via a back route, which may have been ahead of the University wheels grinding into motion.

Emma

Let us light a candle in Hope for Sappholit.

It's time Something Nice happened in my world.

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Dammit. Sorry. Keep forgetting this isn't the Lounge and that strictly speaking, I shouldn't be acting the fool in public.

Good luck Sapph
xx

They like my proposal and will get back to me as soon as poss!

I've proposed my novel. That's 50%. The other 50% is academic scary stuff. I've proposed a study of contemporary female histfic writers.

The other 50% is academic scary stuff. I've proposed a study of contemporary female histfic writers.

Excellent news - well done. Sounds like a good proposal, too. (I'm scared of the academic side too - always feel I'm pretending, slightly - but I know it will all comes out in the wash). Have you come across Diana Wallace's The Woman's Historical Novel 1900-2000? Very good book for this kind of thing.

Emma

The book I've used is called 'The Victorian Woman Question in Contemporary Fiction'.

I'm not sure whether the academic bit is original enough, in truth. I've wittered on about the critical reception of histfic in recent years, and how histfic is no longer a reflection of the past, but an interrogation of it. I dunno. Stuff like mapping out an alternative female historical experience through modern fiction and how I want to research how modern women writers are revising historical representations of madness, motherhood and sexuality.

Who knows? there are worse ways of spending three years, but I think my academic proposal is a bit 'done'.

Motherhood, madness and sexuality. Great. Very random.

Don't worry, you don't have to stick to it. They know these things evolve. Mine isn't going to be a bit like my proposal, but as long as your supervisor keeps on saying it's okay, you'll be fine.

Emma

Brilliant, Sapph! Your proposal sounds very interesting to me.

I've just had an email to say they will be in touch next week.

Between them and the publishers, I'm a nervous wreck.

At the risk of sounding cynical - and I know you're not proposing it for that reason - your proposal ticks a very lucky set of modern intellectual boxes, so maybe, just maybe...

Emma