Hello everyone, and welcome back to Dissertation Diaries.

First off, a huge thank you for your patience over the past month. If things have seemed a little quite on The Anne Boleyn Diaries, it’s not because I’ve disappeared – just that life (and technology) had other plans.

My phone decided to break at the worst possible time – classic, right? I’m currently using a very temperamental backup that struggles to open Google, that alone help me manage blog posts or social media properly. So, if you’re wondering where I vanished to… that’s the mystery solved.

However, even with the tech chaos, I’ve still been working away behind the scenes. All of my assignments are now officially submitted (cue a deep sigh of relief), and now I’m down to the final two tasks: finishing my dissertation and giving a 20-minute presentation on the 30th of April. It’s worth 30% of my final grade, which is slightly terrifying to even type.

The presentation will focus on a core strand of my dissertation: Anne Boleyn’s self-representation and how she is portrayed in heritage spaces and popular culture. It’s just a snapshot of the wider project, but it’s a part I find really fascinating and I hope my audience will too.

That said… public speaking has never been my thing. I’d honestly rather swap the whole thing for a 3,000-word essay in a heartbeat. I love researching, writing, and creating arguments, but standing up and speaking? Not so much. I’m doing my best to rehearse, prepare, and stay calm (though I’m still absolutely terrified). If anyone reading this has any advice for managing nerves or making it through a presentation without melting into a puddle, I’m all ears!

In the meantime, I’ve found small ways to keep myself grounded in the topic, like re-reading Wolf Hall. It’s such an intense, immersive read, and I keep highlighting passages that connect with how Anne Boleyn is imagined in fiction versus how she may have seen herself. It’s helping me reconnect with why I chose this topic in the first place, and reminding me that this research is more than just grades and deadlines.

Once my phone situation is sorted, regular posting will resume – and I’ve got lots planned for May. The theme will be Anne Boleyn’s final days: her execution, legacy, and the ways she’s remembered and commemorated today.

Thank you so much to everyone who has continued to support The Anne Boleyn Diaries. Whether you’re a regular reader or just pop by now and then, your kindness truly means the world to me.

Wish me look for the 30th, and I’ll see you very soon with another update (hopefully from a phone that can handle more than one tab!).

With love and sincere gratitude,

Kelly