Dear Beena,

Can I suggest you perhaps contact 
Dr Emily Lyle, School of Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh, 
27 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD, Scotland
regarding advice on British ballad study. She is a renowned ballad 
scholar and I suspect would be only too happy to help. There are 
also other members of the department who could offer some 
assistance, and she would be able to advise you of those, as well 
as other scholars elsewhere.
The Elphinstone Institute is also a good idea.

On 4 Sep 2000, at 22:15, Beena Thomas wrote:

> 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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