Laura Bailey

In this week's interview, Laura Bailey, who lectures in English Language & Linguistics at the University of Kent, talks about growing up in Newcastle and how the university culture has changed over the decades. Laura places her earliest memory from when she was two and a half years old and she talks about her penchant for undertaking creative activities as a child, and how she especially enjoyed the process of writing itself.

We talk about the peer pressure at secondary school in terms of learning about the latest songs, and Laura tells us where she stands on the 'Do you prefer Blur or Oasis?' question before discussing her experience of watching 'The Princess Bride' when growing up. Laura went to university as a mature student and she ruminates on the role that fate and luck played in whether or not she was able to carry out a PhD. We chat also about the role that inspirational teachers played in her life (and what happened when two of them, coincidentally, appeared at the till in Waterstones where she was working at the same time).

An instructive conversation then unfolds regarding why several female academics added 'Dr.' to their Twitter account name a few years ago, and the interview concludes with Laura talking about whether she has fulfilled the dreams she had when she was young and which decisions she wishes she had made differently.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Laura Bailey and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.