Writer, Filmmaker, Mother, Grandmother
The day finally came; my PhD qualification has been awarded!! This is the final update in my PhD journey. It's a strange feeling... euphoria, obviously, and also an incredible sense of achievement for a working-class girl who was the first in her family to go to university. Three degrees and thirty years later and I… Continue reading Dr. Margot McCuaig
The day of the viva finally came and I am delighted to say that on Wednesday the 12th of November I passed! The viva, held by the examination committee at the University of Stirling, was robust and intense. I have some amendments to make, but to say I'm pleased to have passed is an understatement.… Continue reading Viva voce!
I'm really excited to be featuring on a panel at the Aye Write Book festival, following the publication of Women Who Dared, From the Famous to the Forgotten, published by Edinburgh University Press. 'This is a vibrant, defiant and deeply human collection of stories about women who have made history - even if history hasn't… Continue reading Aye Write book festival
The Sideline podcast and Glasgow City FC are hosting a special screening of my 2020 Royal Television Society award winning film, The Women Who Built Glasgow City. I'm thrilled about this as the premiere screening scheduled to take place at the Everyman Cinema in Glasgow (pre BBC ALBA transmission) had to be cancelled because of… Continue reading The Women Who Built Glasgow City
It's lovely to be included in this important new book from Edinburgh University Press. It's called Women Who Dared and is 'stories of resistance, power and defiance from the women who dared to make history'. It's edited by Ben Fletcher-Watson and Jo Shaw and the forward is by the amazing Sara Sheridan. My essay is on… Continue reading Women Who Dared
It's been a while since I've posted a wee update on my thesis progress, but I have a very good reason. I've been busy, writing, and as of yesterday (20th March) I completed a full draft of my thesis. I'm going to pause and take a wee moment to appreciate this. The last 18 months… Continue reading On the road
It's been a while since I updated on my PhD journey. I may have mentioned that my ambition (intention...) is to complete the four year degree in two years. In theory, this means working full time - times two - every week, but this rigorous schedule is necessary if I am to submit at the… Continue reading 4 out of 5 aint bad
Summer has fallen and a ghostly swirl of orange, red and yellow leaves serve as a reminder that we are on the crest of another changing season. Winter will come, but there are still things to look forward to in autumn. October, as well as being the month my two beautiful children celebrate their birthday,… Continue reading October book launches
I'm now four months into my PhD at Stirling (you can read more about my research here). It has passed quickly and it has been a challenging and rewarding time. For the first couple of months of my PhD, my mum was seriously ill in hospital. I tried to visit her every weekday - expect… Continue reading PhD life.
Carol Ann Duffy wrote a beautiful poem, The Way My Mother Speaks, and the opening is stunning - I say her phrases to myselfin my heador under the shallows of my breath,restful shapes moving. Recently, I've been thinking about the way my mother speaks. Before her words come to me, I experience an odd feeling,… Continue reading The Way My Mother Lived
Margot McCuaig 