Stella Pryce

In 2017/18, I received a James Pantyfedwen grant to support my MA in English Literature at Cardiff University. I was extremely grateful to receive this grant and without it, I would have been unable to afford the necessary costs of my course at Cardiff. This English Literature MA was an extremely enriching academic and personal experience for me. I was fortunate to be able to develop a breadth of knowledge from my core taught modules. These modules included: ‘Violent Death in Renaissance Drama’, ‘Postcolonial Brontë’, ‘Constructing Shakespeare’, ‘Spectral Femininities’ and ‘Advanced Research Methods’. The diverse scope of these modules informed my wider knowledge of historical, linguistic and cultural perspectives across a wide range of English Literature. However, I was also able to develop a specific depth of understanding in relation to my final chosen thesis: ‘The Living Spectre of Girlhood: An Examination of Girls’ Spectral Identities in the Postcolonial Literary Context’. In this research, I was able to utilise high level research skills and I truly embraced the opportunity to develop as a researcher and textual critic. I also highly valued immersing myself in Welsh culture again and was able to engage with some leading academics and post graduate students at Cardiff University.

Since receiving my James Pantyfedwen grant, I have been fortunate to graduate from my MA with a Distinction and have continued to pursue a PhD at the University of Cambridge. My research is based within Children’s Literature and my PhD thesis is directly informed by the academic community I participated in during my time at Cardiff. I am fortunate to have been awarded a fully funded ESRC studentship and I am beginning rigorous academic training to pursue my lifelong dream of entering a career in academia. This experience and educational development would not have been possible without the James Pantyfedwen Scholarship Grant and I thank the trustees for their help and support in making this possible.