A little thread: I’m leaving academia. It’s the right decision for me, but was still a hugely emotional one to make; I cried a lot! Since making the decision, I feel more hopeful, & so much lighter -

I hadn’t quite realised the extent to which the anxiety around precarity, and myriad other things to do with being an ECR in academia today, were weighing me down.

I want to keep writing & publishing (in more accessible venues than pay-walled academic journals), & hope I can still be part of a wider research community in some form! (if anyone has advice about getting representation from a literary agent [non-fiction] please send it my way!)

There’s plenty more to say on this, but @EtheHerring’s recent blog post on the same thing already says a lot of it very well, and so much of what she’s written is *exactly* what I feel, and what led to my decision: https://wellreadherring.blogspot.com/2021/02/why-i-am-leaving-academia.html?m=1

Maybe it’s crazy to make a decision like this, at a time like this, but the pandemic has clarified a lot for me. My current contract ends in July, so I’ve got some time to think about what I’m gonna do next; I’m excited/terrified!!

I’ve made a website to make it easier to find my work & contact me: http://Catherine-Connolly.com . I feel really good about this decision, & a lot of that is due to the very supportive conversations I’ve had with friends & mentors (academic & otherwise)

Also wow I am so weirdly nervous and shaky about tweeting all of this. Anxiety is a trip!