Amy Bonsall has completed her PhD at Leeds University. Her thesis was recognised as demonstrating exemplary research in the field of practice-led research in intercultural Shakespeare theatre performance. She is also the associate artistic director of Bilimankhwe arts and continues to direct professional, commercial theatre productions. Amy founded the Women in Academia Support Network #WIASN a group of 10,000 women academics from around the world.   In this episode Amy shares the challenges that she faced during her PhD journey from caring for small children to physical ill health.   She reflects on her feelings of overwhelm and her struggles with writer’s block.   Amy discusses her decision to take a six-month break from her PhD and how she managed her time.   Support from her ‘team’ was central to Amy’s successful completion and she talks about the organisation Women in Academia Support Network (WIASN) which she co-founded.   You can find out more about WIASN here: https://www.wiasn.org/   You can connect with Amy on Twitter/X - @AmyBonsallPhD   For a transcript of this episode go to www.thephdliferaft.com If you would like to receive a useful weekly email from the PhD Life Raft you can sign up here for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’: https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft