Four questions with Dr #MelissaJogie, one of the #BritishAcademy’s headliners for this year’s #SummerShowcase

Dr Melissa Jogie

UKRI Policy Fellow, British Academy Innovation Fellow, Institutional Research Culture Lead at the University of Roehampton and one of the headliners for this year’s British Academy Summer Showcase

1. What have you been reading, watching, and listening to over the last month?

Last year, I did an African safari in Zambia and Botswana, and returned with a deep fascination for this enchanting land. I’m reading An African History of Africa by Zeinab Badawi, which I complement with Okavango gin (made in the Botswana Delta). The book offers an incredible snapshot of Africa’s lesser-told stories. I was surprised to find out that Ms Badawi will be at the Summer Showcase and I’m secretly hoping we can trade stories about Africa. My Spotify playlist number one at the moment is No Ordinary by Labrinth, a song that brings back vivid memories of Africa. I also enjoy mysteries and sleuthing so I’ve been watching Dexter and Monk on Netflix.

2. What book do you always return to?

I rarely return to the same book twice. Each book I’ve read has been a life companion, shaping my thoughts and capturing the essence of different periods in my life. In my teenage years, Gone with the Wind became my favourite American classic, largely because I read this while visiting Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello house in Virginia, inspiring my dual interest in literature and political science. Reading Coelho’s The Alchemist in my early 20s helped bolster the courageous mindset I needed to leave Trinidad for Australia on a solo journey to pursue post-grad studies. Literature, like life, is a tapestry of stories within stories, each contributing to who I am today.

3. What’s your guilty pleasure to read, watch or listen to?

The theatre is my secret love and London is the perfect place to indulge it. Recently, I saw Nye starring Michael Sheen. The play’s message of ‘healthcare and humanity’ resonated deeply with my work on homelessness, highlighting the often-overlooked importance of dignity in life.

4. What’s one piece of interesting advice you can give us that you’ve learnt from your subjects?

Homelessness does not discriminate by age, race, gender – any of us can be at risk. My work has taught me humility and the resilience of the human spirit. Partnering with the Sutton Night Watch Homeless Charity, I’ve seen the compassion that drives their mission and the goodness it brings out in others. My exhibition at the Summer Showcase invites the public to imagine spending a day on the streets and the choices you are left with that we normally take for granted. We hope everyone leaves the exhibition with a solid reminder that nothing in life should be taken for granted.