26 May 2019

Meet: Hanna - English Literature (soon-to-be) graduate


Hello readers of One Oh One! My name is Hanna and I am currently pending a degree in English, literature and graduating in July from Leeds Beckett University. I am currently still living in my student house in Leeds, with plans to move to London next month... and have no idea what job I'm going to be working two months from today! My life is in major limbo right now, but... first, how did I end up where I am?

Since a young age, I am grateful that my parents have always allowed me a free reign over my own educational decisions, teaching me that the subjects I enjoy are those worth taking on. Therefore, my subjects of choice have always mirrored my interests, rather than reflecting one specific career path. Like many, I went to uni because, well, what else was I supposed to do... become an adult at 18?! I saw university as an opportunity to grow as a person, and this is absolutely what I have experienced over the past three years. My interest in literature has ballooned and my love for language and writing has grown massively. I wrote a ten-thousand-word dissertation as a product of my degree, and within it, I explored the ways that contemporary literature engages with nature. Reading specifically in terms of ecological concern in an age of climate catastrophe and extreme human pollution, I concluded that it has become necessary for literature to engage with nature in this way. I believe that literature surrounding environmental concern can broaden our activism for the planet, and writing this dissertation inspired me to begin writing nature-centred poetry myself, with an undertone always on the beauty of natural phenomena that might soon be completely lost. I look forward to sharing with you my own creative work.

So... what now? As I mentioned earlier, I will be moving down to London next month to live in a house with friends and my boyfriend. I have absolutely NO idea what life has in store for me, but I don't mind (that is, not yet I don't...) I am excited for such a bold move down south (havin' lived all me life up int'north) and I am looking forward to sharing this move with those of you who might be considering a crazy-postgraduate-change-of-environment!

Attempting to hold little expectations of what the near future might hold, my rough 'plan' over the next few months is to:

1) Get Han down to London. In one piece, desirably.
2) Find ANY job (or three) that will cover rent.
3) Build up a portfolio of freelance and creative work. I will do this in my spare time and hope to gain success in the world of freelance, as well as, of course, for a couple of extra bucks.

That's about it for now! I am glad to be sharing with you all at One Oh One the struggles and pleasures that I will no doubt find myself tangled in in London, and hope that my reckless life-choices can bring some calm to those of you who might be panicking. For now, however, I will sign off and continue living off the dregs of my student loan, and make the most of not having a job yet...!

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