I didn’t expect to drop a full research article on Leonora Carrington and disappear for six months. The second half of 2024 really took off for me; and I’m hugely grateful for the opportunities that have come my way since June. I’m writing to update you on the work that’s kept me from Substack, and to let you know how I plan to use this space in the near future. Please note this is a series of highlights, and only represents the news I’m currently able to share.
Throughout 2024, I edited my PhD thesis for publication as an academic monograph (single-author book). I submitted the full manuscript to my first-choice publisher, Palgrave Macmillan, and eventually signed the book contract in early December. Publication is of course subject to another round of peer review and approval; but Palgrave’s support of my work has been a silver lining for a strange year. Mystic Blake is coming soon.
Within days of signing my book contract, the British Association for Romantic Studies (BARS) reached out to inform me I’d won a Stephen Copley Award, a small research funding grant, towards my proposal on the Scott family and their works. I’m excited to start a new research project with a new calendar year. My work in the London archives begins in the penultimate week of this month.
Coincidentally, the idea for my Scott project came from a discovery I made writing my conference paper for July’s BARS 2024: Romantic Making and Unmaking in Glasgow, on Fiona Macleod/William Sharp. I also applied for and won full funding to present at and attend this conference; BARS have really made my year in several respects. This was my first academic conference in-person since 2019, and my first as an independent researcher. The conference completely reinvigorated my research. It fuelled my fire to finish my monograph edits and develop the idea-spark of my next big project, which had been steadily burning since preparing my Macleod paper. I’ll publish a write-up here on Substack on the conference, summarise my paper, and detail my experience of it all as an independent researcher, in the next couple of weeks.
Other academic projects this year included writing my book chapter on William Blake and Dorothy Gott for The Routledge Companion to William Blake (due out 2026), a volume of essays intended to inspire the next generation of Romantic literature students and researchers. I’ve been on the William Blake podcast Visionary (by Global Blake) twice; and have also reviewed David Worrall’s latest book, Blake’s Visions, for them. The review is out next week.
I have several definite future posts for this Substack, which I’ll share over the coming weeks, along with research news, publications and activities as they go public. Please keep in touch: I’m always open to collaboration.
It’s not been an easy year, but it has been a busy one. I’ve planted a lot of seeds and cannot wait to see them blossom.
Take care, and may the New Year be fruitful for you. Jodie x
email: jodie.l.marley@gmail.com
Bluesky: @ jodielmarley.bsky.social
Instagram: @ jodie.e.eternity
I cannot wait to read your book!!! 🤗💗
Well done ! Adding this info to your birth chart file xx