I just returned from my first conference as presenting delegate: The F Word, organised by PG CWWN. I could write a long and detailed report but actually I only need one word: awesome.

First of all, it was a great opportunity to hear what others are up to. The programme was varied, with people presenting on many different subjects. The panels, however, worked very well. It was great to see how different topics spoke to each other and every session was followed by a productive discussion.

It was also a great opportunity to get feedback on my own work. I got some thoughtprovoking questions which will probably make a big difference to my project. Moreover, it was interesting to compare my work to that of others and discover surprising connections.

But most importantly, perhaps, it was a lot of fun. It was great to meet so many other early career researchers and share experiences. Many of my days are spent near a computer, alone. But last week I learnt that scholarship is also a social activity, and that interaction with others is extremely valuable.

Given the theme of the conference we had many discussions about feminism. It’s good to discover that feminism lives among my generation. We may not always agree with each other, but at least we’re all convinced that feminism is far from obsolete and that more work needs to be done.

I would like to thank everyone who made the conference such a big success. First of all, the organizers. Everything ran smoothly and was well organized, you’ve been incredibly helpful and nice. Thanks for getting so many interesting people together. And of course a big thank you to all the participants. I enjoyed meeting you and hearing your views, and hope we meet again in the future.