Dr. Sherezade García Rangel - Writer, Podcaster, and Lecturer
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Shere with the Awen Medal for Creativity, Awarded for the On The Hill Podcast project
1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Fully believing in myself. This might be an awkward answer, but this was a hard skill to learn and one that has informed much of the achievements I have been able to make. A version of this belief must have been present before; I have always counted on the support of my family. But it took me a while to actually, truly believe in myself, believe those who loved me and said I could, and believe I could do the things I wanted to do at the level that I wanted to do them.
There was a moment when this happened, a distinct before and after: my PhD viva at Glasgow in November 2015. I had been living in Brussels at the end of my PhD, pushed there by a cancellation of my funding due to changes in Venezuela amidst a horrible crisis where students were being shot at and wounded in the streets. I had hated having to leave. I love Glasgow, and felt something was taken from me. I also hated not being able to do much for Venezuela and felt keenly the irony of my own privilege. At that time in my life, many things converged and 2014 was a bit of an annus horribilis, so when I got to Brussels in January 2015 and had to end my PhD, I was at a very low point. It was clear that something needed to change, so I began a process of walking, meditating, and focusing on finishing my novel and PhD with one purpose in mind: If I am going to do this, if I am going to finish, I am going to do this my way. If I crash and burn, bring it. Coincidentally, this too was the time I began listening to podcasts, thanks to a recommendation from a friend – something which would be significant later on.
This purpose carried me through finishing my novel, through recovering both emotionally and physically, and through to preparing for my viva. A friend has suggested that I leave a day free to walk and relax before the big event, to allow myself to enjoy it. I did that, and it worked. I was nervous, at times physically shaking, but I was ready. Let me crash and burn if I have to, but I did what I wanted, how I wanted, to the level that I wanted, and now I get to talk about it, awesome. Bless my examiners for telling me right away that I had passed and that we were just going to have a conversation about it. What a wonderful time that was. This was the first time someone unknown to me had read my novel and most importantly, had actually got it – not just liked it, but got it. They understood it: not what I wanted to do, but what I had actually done. One of them, a very talented Scottish writer, completely got what I was trying to do, all the nuances, all the layering, and the weird structure. All of it. I had turned so inward with this project, had put everything on the line for this, and it was beyond my expectations that it had gone so well.
After it was over, I walked out of the building and through campus in a daze. Called my family, went to celebrate with my friends, danced in the basement of Òran Mór, drank every whisky I got offered and was somehow magically sober the next day. When my friends and supervisor asked me if I had any corrections, I didn’t know for sure. The confirmation came a week later. I had passed without corrections on a Creative Writing PhD, at a Russell Group University, in a foreign language. And I had done it doing the thing I wanted to do, listening to myself and believing in the worth of what I was doing. I had done it through the hardest years of my life, with my world crumbling at every corner. I’ll never forget that feeling and the lesson has carried me through new challenges. Do your thing, Shere, do it your way. It will be worth it.
2. What motivates you to do what you do?
I’m endlessly curious and deeply love to learn. A lecturer once called me self-propelled. I like the nuances of things and the things unsaid and I am fascinated by ancient history, especially that which is off the beaten track. Art and literature too are great sources of inspiration. Overall, I think what motivates me to do what I do is a sense of the rare opportunity I have been given and the importance of doing something valuable with it. I am motivated by a desire to help Venezuela and my family in the best way I can.
Shere and her mum at the Minack Theatre, Porthcurno
3. What do you owe your mother?
Everything. My mum and I are physically and mentally very similar. I’m the rebellious, disruptive side of the coin and she is the steady, more conservative one. She loves to learn and loves to travel, and was a big push when deciding whether going abroad would be a positive thing.
I owe her my attention to detail, my creative problem solving, my handcrafting skills, my empathic side. My mum is an architect and artist, and firmly the other creative/humanities person in my nuclear family. She has this saying which used to annoy us all and has proven very useful, whenever we asked a question or had a problem she says: Use your imagination. I always think about that whenever I’m stuck. Is there a creative way of solving this, of getting a better result?
4. Which women inspire you and why?
So many, it’s hard to choose. Mostly my friends and colleagues, my sisters, my grandmas. I already talked about mum. These women tackle their life in amazing, creative and inspiring ways and I love collaborating with women. In my podcast On The Hill I’ve had the chance to do so more closely too, and to provide opportunities for them to do creative, lovely things.
Seeing my sister become a mother has been amazing too, and I am in awe at the person my little niece is becoming. How do we inspire them to be their full selves – that is something I think about a lot lately.
5. What are you reading?
Driving Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, which is the latest book in my book club, Breadth Book Club. We focus on reading books that cover human experiences other than our own. I am also relistening to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, which was recommended to me by a student a few years ago and has me shamelessly laughing in public. It’s set in Scotland and I love getting to listen to the Glaswegian accent again too.
6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?
Many, both gender and based on my status as a Venezuelan and immigrant. The most pervasive one tends to be a general undermining of my achievements, experience, criteria and/or knowledge. From harassment to minimising or mansplaining, the experience is common, and I don’t know any women who haven’t experienced something like this. Male academics tend to be taken more seriously in my experience. A while ago I was invited to a talk with other speakers. They announced the male academic as ‘Dr.’, but ignored mine.
I had to point this out to those running the event, and whilst it was corrected, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
7. How can the world be made a better place for women?
We cannot stop fighting for equal rights, equal pay and for an inclusive, intersectional, open understanding of what a woman is. This has a huge cost, emotionally, psychologically, and socially and I have been chastised by family and friends for saying something or not backing away from a fight. It used to weigh on me, but no longer. This is the hill where you’ll find me. We must do what we can where we are, we must hand over a better place to the next generation. I am incredibly grateful to the women who made it possible for me to work, go to university, vote, own my own things, have a right to my family. We will do this by learning from the barriers we encountered, by challenging them, by fighting for our full humanity to be enshrined in law. We will do it by not settling for anything less.
8. Describe your perfect day?
At this point, I would love a day of rest. This year has been non-stop, and I’ve had amazing opportunities which I adore, but a perfect day would be one where I get to do anything non-productive I want, with a crystal-clear mind which isn’t overthinking about all the work that needs doing. A day where I can rest in my power as I recharge.
9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?
In Falmouth, I am very curious about the Fox sisters and an installation would be fitting to remember them to the town. Legend Winnifred Freeman, riding on her bicycle, canvas tied to her back and cigar on her mouth would make an amazing statue.
I would also like to see a statue commemorating Ingrid Jacoby, author and Jewish survivor, brought to Cornwall on the kindertransport. She lived in Falmouth from 1939 to 1944.
10. Give us a tip?
Nurture and pursue the mad ideas, they are by far the best ones.
Shere (and the Spey River!) at The Bothy Project, a residency project in Scotland
About Shere
Dr Sherezade García Rangel is a Venezuelan writer and podcaster based in Falmouth, Cornwall. She is the award-winning founder, producer and host of the On The Hill podcast about Cornish cemeteries and the stories buried within. She is a Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Falmouth University, and has an MA in Creative Writing from Newcastle University and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow.
Her work has been published in Gutter Magazine, Hwearf, FalWriting, From Glasgow to Saturn, Miscellaneous: An Anthology Inspired by The Hunterian and others.
Find her here.