To my delight and total shock, I’ve been offered a full AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council) doctoral award from October 2011. It’ll cover University fees, the Oxford college fee, and maintenance. For overseas readers, the AHRC is the major public body for academic research in my field.

After repeatedly reading the small print and receiving excited supervisory emails from Seattle and Bali, I’m starting to believe it’s not an administrative cockup. Despite my deep reservations and scepticism at being suddenly better-off under a Tory-led government, I’m thrilled. Having experienced unfunded postgraduate life to the full, I know how fortunate I am to be getting a break from that. I wish all those awaiting similar funding decisions the very best of luck.