Young Researchers Conference in Madrid

Being a PhD student has many perks, but perhaps one of the best is being funded (thank you very much to the School of Arts and Humanities’ Small Grants for Research Students scheme!) to travel abroad for research and conferences. Last week, I travelled to Madrid for my first conference abroad: the ‘First Colloquium of Young Researchers in Latin American Literature’ at the Universidad Complutense, Madrid. Between enjoying the sunshine, visiting the Reina Sofia gallery and eating about 50 different types of ham, I had an amazing time meeting other young researchers who shared my exact interests, building my network and learning so much from them. 

When the time for my presentation came, I was extremely nervous as it’s the first time that I’ve had to present in Spanish in front of an almost entirely Spanish-speaking crowd. Then when Eduardo Sánchez Rugeles, the author of the book I was about to talk about (Blue Label/Etiqueta Azul) walked in, nerves turned to terror, as I panicked that he would hate everything I said. Thankfully, the presentation went very well and he seemed to really enjoy it – more than anything he was shocked and grateful that someone from England would care so much about his work! He had also very kindly brought me a copy of his latest book, which I had desperately wanted for months.

Later that evening, another of my favourite authors, Juan Carlos Méndez Guédez, came to finish the conference with a reading from his latest book and a Q+A session. I got a free book from him too, as well as a chance to discuss his writing and my translations of his work.

So I returned to England with two books, lots of new Latin American literature enthusiast friends, key insights for my research and even a bit of a tan – bring on the next conference!

Knowledge By Degrees - A KCL Student Musical

Another university, another round of student productions to review, starting with Knowledge By Degrees (@KBDMusical), a new musical written by Wendy Dickinson and directed by Claire Harbourne. Interestingly, it's not a Student Musical Society that is putting it on but MedSoc (who apparently do a lot of musicals). I must admit I was a little dubious before I went, but I was genuinely impressed by the production - both the performances and the show itself.

The story follows four house-mates - Ben (Cameron Carr), Helen (Cat Palethorpe), Emma (Emily Bates) and James (Rowan Williams) - through their final year at a fictional university, from 'champagne teas' to tears and tantrums. Ben thinks he's God's gift to women, but a total disappointment to his parents. Helen is in love with him and flying off the rails. To counterbalance, there's bubbly Emma and loveable nerd James. When I first heard about the story, I questioned whether I would care about these self-obsessed students, but actually I got really caught up in the storyline. It's a bit of an emotional roller-coaster and made me very grateful for the sane, well-adjusted house-mates I had in my final year! At the same time, it's packed full of laugh out loud moments, and things that you never thought would work, like a sung idealism versus realism philosophical debate.

The casting was particularly strong. There were a few line fluffs (I'll blame opening night nerves), but the main cast convincingly brought their roles to life and the singing was faultless from all four leads. Many times throughout the show I found myself taken aback by their range and power. It was a shame, however, that the music was a bit too loud, so sometimes I couldn't make out the (surely witty and intelligent) lyrics. The most impressive part of the production, though, was without doubt the music. From the strong overture to the ridiculously catchy 'What You Tweet Defines Who You Are' (which I am still singing over 24 hours later), the moving 'I Dreamed That I Had Died Tonight' to the rousing 'This Is It', Dickinson displays a remarkable talent for musical theatre composition, and I look forward to hearing what she does next.

The final performance of Knowledge By Degrees is at the Greenwood Theatre (near London Bridge) at 7pm on 28 September 2012. Tickets are £10/£5 for students.