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Far From The Madding Crowd (Hardy)

I’m not really saying goodbye to advertising and marketing. That’s not possible after 30 years in space and time immersed in media campaign planning and buying for clients and agencies. I still freelance from time to time for the company I left in August 2016, working on blogs, media plans and tenders, and I’m a board volunteer for Tidelines Book Festival working on programming and marketing.

A Field Guide To Getting Lost (Solnit)

A year ago in Jan 2018, I hoped I would be starting this new chapter in my life as a PhD research student but it seemed extraordinary that it might happen. Well, here I am. In my new life as a PhD student I am researching authenticity in book publishing, the subject of my MLitt dissertation. Authenticity is a fascinating, slippery topic with multiple themes for book publishing cultures.

Why is my site called ‘Sayonara, Quick Brown Fox’? A friend commenting on my change of direction inspired it. ‘Quick Brown Fox’ is part of the old pangram used in analogue times to test typewriter keys. Its use nods to one of my research themes: the ways in which digital tech has disrupted the relationship between readers, authors, and books.

Hello World (Fry)

I’m using this site to keep a record of my thoughts as the research progresses and to keep me away from Twitter. It will also be a hub for any creative word impulses I may have, along with any photographs I want to share. ‘Blog’ is where to find thoughts on my PhD research, life, and any creative writing attempts. A click on ‘Snaps’ takes you to my photographs. Pages will be added to the site and content will change as the years progress. Here we go.