Dear blog,

So, I managed to get the book in by the deadline and the day after it went in I went on holiday. I’m back at my desk now and still tired, but glad that it’s done. It was incredibly hard work; twelve-hour days for the last few months and very difficult to fit in with everything else that’s going on. There were 400 items in the bibliography in the end, which shows how much work went into it; I’ve been working on and off on it for years. The last three weeks were a bit easier when I wasn’t going into work and was able to commit to the book (almost) full time. I wish I had more time like this when I can concentrate on only one thing, really focus on it and feel like I achieve something. It’s not over yet and I’m under no illusions; now it goes for a clearance read and I’m sure there will be more work to do when I get the reader’s report back, but for now I’m going to do my best not to think about that.

I’m doing a lunchtime lecture at the Royal Society on Friday 28th September, which is very exciting, on Mary Wollstonecraft and natural history: http://royalsociety.org/events/2012/rights-of-woman/. This is one of a number of ‘gigs’ lined up for the next couple of months, also including a research paper at the University of Oxford and a conference plenary in Valencia. I’m also examining two PhD theses this autumn/winter, as well as writing at least one essay. Tomorrow I have an initial meeting to consider a new research grant application. This semester though I’m on research leave and so will be living in London, working at the Royal Institution and other archives, on what will now become my main project again — the Humphry Davy Collected Letters (http://www.davy-letters.org.uk/). It’ll be lovely to get back to this work after an enforced absence due to the book. There’s so much work to do and the few months I have away from work will fly by. I really want to make the most of them and have achieved lots by the time I go back.

Before then, I’m having some more much needed holiday. More soon.

Best,

Sharon