PhD Abstract Dr Chris Milson

Abstract PhD Thesis Dr Chris Milson

Congratulations to CIRCL PhD student Chris Milson for completing his PhD and viva on 11-03-2016 with his thesis ‘On Translation: Reading, Representation, and the Desire to Know’ (supervisor: Professor Karin Lesnik-Oberstein. Viva external examiner: Dr Hannah Anglin-Jaffe, University of Exeter, internal examiner: Dr Neil Cocks)!

(Abstract of thesis)

This thesis was inspired by conversations with my students, but is the culmination of interests and investments I have had for many years in ideas of representation and the real, knowledge and translation. It considers multiple texts from a myriad of disciplines that make claims as to the untranslatability of certain concepts deemed too real, or too unable to be represented, to be translatable. I offer close readings of these texts, and of texts that make the opposite claim – that such concepts can indeed be translated fully and can therefore be accessible by anyone – to look what is at stake in such assertions.

My chapters are organised around a selection of the concepts claimed by the texts I offer readings of as being outside of discourse, by dint of their claimed translatability or untranslatability: identity, experience, perception, and the unconscious. In each case the texts I read are from across multiple disciplines, including psychoanalysis, children’s literature, disability theory, and others.

Ultimately, I look at how most of the current debates in academia revolve around an appeal to empathy as a way of avoiding reading. Empathy, as with the conception of translation that many of the texts I read create and operate with, is about a kind of direct access that bypasses the need for reading and interpretation. The desire for knowledge and mastery is therefore enabled in a way that reading disallows, it being based on interpretation and not a so-called direct access to that which is desired to be known.

Students’ Views

'I gained much more than I had expected from the MA. The course was not just about children's literature; it led me to reconsider the way I read, think, and argue. It prepared me for my PhD research and had an influence on my whole life. I can sincerely say that the MA in Children's Literature at Reading is worth attending, even if you need to travel all the way from the other side of the earth (which is more or less what I did, as an international student).'

Yuko Ashitagawa, CIRCL MA 2001-2, CIRCL PhD 2002-5

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'With great support from the tutors and friends I have had a wonderful year in exploring and reconsidering the way I have been thinking all my life. In many ways it is my personal journey during which I have learnt a lot, not only about how to (or not to) find an answer but also about how to raise a question. As an international student I would like to say that the MA is very challenging, yet very liberating.'

Sireethorn (Pam) Simawathna, CIRCL MA 2012-13

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'The Reading MA in Children's Literature was a stimulating and thoroughly enjoyable experience for me. The course is intellectually demanding and wide-ranging in its approach to the field of children's literature and its cultural context. Though it focuses on the child in literature it is not restrictive. Many of the issues raised during the course of study are pertinent to all kinds of literature. There are ample opportunities for students to engage in discussion and to make their own con...

Hilary Fraser, CIRCL MA 1999-2000, CIRCL PhD 2009

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"My masters with CIRCL has increased my confidence and my critical thinking skills monumentally. At the conclusion of this course and with the support of the lecturers and my course mates I now work for an academic publisher in a senior role of Marketing Manager. Not only is CIRCL an academic challenge, but it is also a community, as a part time student I have been able to meet two cohorts of students, both of which have had incredible, individual and inspiring individuals within. The cour...

Katy Corderoy, MA 2017-19

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“I thoroughly enjoyed the course. Always challenging, the course approached and encouraged me to deal with many issues in a rigorously academic way. The work on the course was always innovative and now I can see how the course changed the way I can think about problems and solutions in both academic and non-academic contexts. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to deal with their own and other’s assumptions in a thoughtful and explorative way."

Christopher Johnson, CIRCL MA 2015-2016

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'This whole year has been an exercise in learning how to think in new and different ways. I can’t imagine ever finding any program quite like it and I’m glad to have taken part in it.'

Charlotte Randall, CIRCL MA 2015-16

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'I know that I would never have thought of undertaking a PhD without undertaking my MA in CIRCL.'

Sara Zadrozny (then: Sara Broad), CIRCL MA 2003-4

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'The Children's Literature Masters has been really enjoyable, I loved revisting old childhood favourites and viewing them from a new perspective as well as discovering new authors, critics and opinions on children's literature.'

Sue Lee, CIRCL MA 2012-13

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'Studying the MA in Children's Literature was an excellent introduction to and preparation for academic practice and further research as it provided me with an opportunity to engage in discussions surrounding the issues addressed by current researchers during CIRCL seminars in a nurturing and supportive environment.'

Catrin Edwards, CIRCL MA 2006-7, CIRCL PhD 2010

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'Be prepared to completely challenge the way you think about interpreting texts and media'; 'take this course if you want to go for a doctorate and actually do something original ... there's no program like it in the States.'

American student, CIRCL MA 2009-10

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Click on this text to read an interview with Dr Krissie West about her experiences as a student on the M(Res) in Children's Literature and the CIRCL PhD.

Dr Krissie West, CIRCL MA, CIRCL PhD

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'The MA is like choosing the red pill in the film the Matrix - because you can't look at the world the same way after taking the course!'

Zoe Roxon, CIRCL MA 2010-11

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'My undergraduate degree was English Literature with Education Studies at the University of Cambridge and as part of that course I took a module in Children's Literature and absolutely loved it. I therefore decided to research MA courses so that I could further develop my interest. I was advised by my tutors at Cambridge that the most rigorous course was the one offered by the University of Reading and I was thrilled to be offered a place. During the MA the tutors were friendly and support...

Hannah Smith (now: Anglin-Jaffe), CIRCL MA 2001-2, CIRCL PhD 2005

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My one year’s visit in CIRCL is the most rewarding academic experience that I have ever had. I found the [M(Res.)] seminars very stimulating. With “positive reinforcement”, all the participants are encouraged and involved. I am always encouraged and inspired by the discussions that were held in the seminars, which are though-provoking and very interactive, heated sometimes yet always in a very pleasant and harmonious atmosphere. I am greatly indebted to Karin, Neil and Sue for their wonder...

JIANG Jianli (Tina), Associate Professor, Qingdao Technological University, China, CIRCL Academic Visiting Fellow 2016-17

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'Studying the Children’s Literature MA at Reading was a hugely challenging and rewarding experience for me. When I began the course I had no idea how much my own thinking, reading and argument would develop, so much so that by the end I considered continuing with a PhD. A year after completing the MA I won University Studentship funding to undertake a PhD at CIRCL. I would recommend the Children’s Literature MA to anybody who wishes to develop their critical thinking in any subject area, n...

Helen Ainslie, CIRCL MA 2004-5, CIRCL PhD 2006-9

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Click on this text to read an interview with Dr Kia Michalopoulou about her experiences of the MA(Res) in Children's Literature and the CIRCL PhD.

Dr Evdokia (Kia) Michalopoulou, CIRCL MA, CIRCL PhD

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'The Children’s Literature MA has aided my development of extensive academic skills and has introduced me to complex and fascinating theoretical approaches, which can be used to question supposedly obvious or accepted ideas encountered not just in Children’s Literature but across all types of literature. However, I also feel the MA has provided me with some essential skills including problem-identifying and solving by working out the implications and effects of the claims made by others, ...

Gemma Budd, CIRCL MA 2010-11

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Click on this text to read an interview with Professor So Jin Park about her experiences as a student on the MA (now M(Res)) in Children's Literature.

Professor So Jin Park, CIRCL MA

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'Intriguing. Challenging. Opens up a whole new world for me. Would recommend the course to anyone who seeks unique ideas and inspiration, especially for the PhD level. All the staff are very helpful and supportive.'

Pancharle (‘Andy’) Thongpanich, CIRCL MA 2011-12

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Click on this text to read an interview with CIRCL Visiting Scholar 2018-19 Dr Haiya Dong about her studies and experiences while at CIRCL in Reading, including of the M(Res) in Children's Literature!

Dr Haiya Dong, CIRCL Visiting Scholar 2018-19 Interview

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