Dear friends
This is to express my joy and thanks in joining a
group of ballad lovers and scholars. I’m a Ph.D.
research scholar from Kerala, India, working on a
comparative study of British ballads (Child ballads)
and folk ballads of Kerala. I’m quite isolated in the
academic community (English literature) out here since
others in our English Depts. center their research
interests around topics like postmodernism and so on.
I had more or less the same experience when I wrote to
several English Depts. in British universities,
seeking guidance in English and Scottish ballads. I am
writing my thesis, but there are a lot of gaps in my
study of British ballads. I would have profited from
doing some field work in Britain, like I was able to
do here regarding our own ballads. But I got replies
from British academics in the English Depts. of
several U.K. universities that they know nothing about
the topic. There is a dearth of secondary material on
British ballads out here. As for experts on British
ballads in Kerala, there is no one who can give me
effective guidance.
That is why I am so delighted to join your group—I
don’t feel I am an “anachronism” anymore! Since I seem
to have been writing to the wrong people for guidance
in ballad study, I would welcome your suggestions on
going about it the right way. I need to get in touch
with someone who can supervise my ballad research for
a few months in Britain. I also need funding from some
agency to cover the expenses a trip to Britain would
entail. Seems a tall order, I know!
If funding is hard to come by, I am also willing to
join any project connected with research in folklore
or English literature as long as I get the funds and
opportunity to do some work on British ballads. I got
in touch with NATCECT which replied that they will get
back to me in due course. I also wrote to the
Elphinstone Institute, Uni. Of Aberdeen, more than a
week ago, but they are yet to reply.
I look forward to your suggestions and advice.
Thanks and best wishes
Beena Thomas
Email: [log in to unmask]
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