A lot of academics I know have been talking about, or linking to, a blog post entitled 'Academic assholes and circles of niceness'. The blog discusses the bad behaviour that can be rewarded in academia and how treating people badly can be perceived as cleverness. It asks the...

The 2014 REF (Research Excellence Framework) is nearly upon us and like many in my position I am making sure my publications are ready for inspection. But while battling a round of corrections on a piece about young homeless people and the city, I am finding it hard to concentrate....

My Facebook wall is filling up with babies. Alongside the wall of babies, adverts pop up about buying stuff for babies. This didn't seem an issue in my twenties and nothing prepared me from the bombardment from all sides on hitting my early thirties. The overwhelming expectation from the world...

I feel like the interview is going well. One of the panel looks down at my CV. He reads my address and postcode 'London N8, that's Crouch End'. He looks up 'Would you move to Glasgow?'

After the question of 'will I get a job?' The 'would I move to...

The night of the Tottenham riots I was leaving to catch a plane. On holiday, I texted friends and worried about what was going on. As well as the concerns for people in my adopted home city, there was also a nagging feeling that I was missing something. This doesn't...

It's oh so quiet. The university during the summer holidays is like a museum. The students are gone, most of the teaching staff are gone. Research, admin staff and anxious PhD students rattle around like a few dry beans in a jar. Oh so quiet and oh so pleasant, for...

The first time I went for a mammogram I smiled at the camera. My natural reaction to a photo opportunity. I'd like to think I didn't slightly turn in one leg but I can't vouch for that. The annual mammogram is not one of the highlights of my year, not...

Bridesmaids is the blockbuster of the summer - cue that patronising discussion (too idiotic to engage with) about women having the capability to be funny. It is also gaining accolades for its portrayal of women's friendships. Yes, it is the friendship between the film's lead characters that is the focus...