14.11.2026
I still stick to my point that I was blocked from becoming a university professor because of my background, because I was an ethnic minority from the working classes. I blame it on the prejudice and discrimination of the white middle classes.
Although nobody helped me to get a job as a professor, I was helped by a number of people that didn’t have to help me at all while I was doing my doctoral studies. I want to talk about their kindness to me.
After my PhD, I sent out my doctoral dissertation to about two hundred different university professors that I believed were in related fields. Not one single one of them replied. I was about to give up, but then I sent the dissertation to one last professor, Peter Goodrich. By now, I didn’t expect any reply. However, not only did Peter Goodrich read the dissertation and reply, we got into talks about preparing a book proposal for the project and then I achieved my childhood dream. I became the published author of a book. Peter helped me even though he did not personally know me. He is the one person in the whole of academia that helped me to get a paid position, as an academic author. Not only this, but Peter also read through the first draft of my second book and encouraged me to get it published and to submit a book proposal.
Alex Warwick also helped me when she didn’t have to. When I had completed the first draft version of my second book after my PhD, when I wasn’t even at the university any more, she read through the draft for me and offered me advice, encouragement and constructive criticism. This is despite the massive amount of work that she does. She’s never been my tutor. The reason I knew her is that she gave me an interview to get into the university at undergraduate level, when I was desperate to do the English Literature degree in two years rather than three because I had an undergraduate degree and master’s already.
And what can I say about Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos? My PhD time was very lonely. I was not accepted by the community and didn’t have any friends in the journey. But Andreas, who was not even one of my tutors, really welcomed me and became my friend. He supported me. We kept in touch and he let me assist him in planning and teaching an undergraduate class about law and art. This was the one opportunity that I was given in the whole time I was there to do any teaching. Andreas has encouraged me to write, has told me that I am talented, and he has read through so many things I have written and given constructive criticism. Again, despite the massive workload that he has taken on.
Each of these people helped me and I look up to them. Because they embody what I think a university professor should be. Someone that wants to further the discipline and looks at the merit of a writer and not their background. None of them had to help me. They helped me because they saw something in my work and they saw my passion and dedication, my ambition. I will always be grateful for what they gave me.
