Professor Sarah Childs is Professor of Politics & Gender at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her latest book is Feminist Democratic Representation, co-authored with Karen Celis and published by Oxford University Press in 2020. She also authored The Good Parliament Report in 2016.

Please tell us a little bit about how you entered academia and your academic career

As an undergraduate in politics I realised I hadn’t been able to learn enough about gender; I did a masters in Women’s studies and was signed up to start at PGCE… I realized I didn’t want to teach the Romans to 11 year olds… I had to look for a job – in those days the Guardian on a Wednesday – interviews for two PhDs places, I got offered the first at Kingston University, part-time with teaching; otherwise, I might have been a suffrage historian… I never wanted to be a British politics lecturer – I did politics in the school of African and Asian studies at Sussex… but my PhD years covered the 1997 election. I was supposed to be writing a theoretical PhD but I ended up interviewing 35 of the New Labour Women; and I loved talking to political actors.

Which five books/articles (written by someone else) have been most important to you in your academic career?

Benedict Anderson Imagined Communities – as an undergraduate, this book was like nothing I’d read before.

Vicky Randall Women and Politics – my first ever gender and politics book.

Anne Phillips The Politics of Presence – read as a Masters in Women’s Studies student, and started off my academic career.

Drude Dahlerup ‘From a Small to a Large Minority’, a key contribution to debates about critical mass.

Suzanne Dovi ‘Preferable Descriptive Representatives: Will Just Any Woman, Black, or Latino Do?’ – made me think harder about the practice of representation

Which person/people has/have been most influential/important to you in your academic career?

Joni Lovenduski and Vicky Randall – When I was a part-time PhD student in an old polytechnic on the verge of giving up, both told me that my research was worthwhile; thereafter I received the most amazing mentorship from Joni, and Vicky examined my PhD.

Rosie Campbell – co-author, co-jogger, and confidant.

Karen Celis – with whom I’ve just spent amazing three years writing a book, including two summers of intense writing in Italy with her.

Which of your own pieces of research are you most proud of?

Feminist Democratic Representation with Karen Celis. It was slow, intense and fun, and our first book of political theory.

‘The Substantive Representation of Women: Reducing the VAT on Sanitary Products in the UK’ in Parliamentary Affairs (2006) with Julie Withey. My favourite discrete case study.

What has been your greatest achievement in academia?

The Good Parliament Report 2016 + the pilot (2018) and then permanent change to Standing Orders to allow proxy voting for babyleave (2020).

What has been your greatest disappointment in academia?

Being told: (i) I would only get a serious job if I study a serious subject (i.e. not gender); and (ii) I would only get a pay rise if I received a job offer from another institution.

What is the first or most important thing you tell your students about parliaments?

To understand them you need to speak to folks who inhabit them, week in-week out, both political and administrative.

Where were you born, where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

Hartley Wintney and Hook, in Hampshire – school was local but sixth form college was in Basingstoke. I have lived in Clapham since the early 1990s. I had to get away from village life where everyone knows your business.

What was your first job?

I worked in a sweet shop on Saturdays whilst at school and then Boots the Chemist as a sixth former.  

What was the toughest job you ever had?

I worked in an industrial laundry on a machine that would send down hangers on which I would hang soggy men’s overalls, all day. I have never been so physically exhausted. After a week I fortunately got a pub job that meant I could leave.

What are your hobbies?

Running with my little brother (virtually if not in person); personal training; swimming. None of these in an extreme way but regularly; and reading.

What are your favourite novels?

The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood.

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver

Amrita, Banana Yoshimoto

What is your favourite music?

Blue Lines, Massive Attack. Reminds me of friends, gigs, and (many strong) women’s voices.

Home by Hania Rani. During the pandemic this was really relaxing

What are your favourite artists?

Georgia O’keefe, especially her flowers. Edward Hopper, I look at this picture every day, and I love the water.

What is your favourite film?

Secrets and Lies, Mike Leigh. Best representation of PMT ever seen on film… IMHO.

What is your favourite building?

Falling Water, when I visited as a teenager I was blown away by it.

What is your favourite tv show?

During Covid: Schitt’s Creek

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Iceland: spas, thermal swimming pools, mountains, snow, and clean air.

What is your favourite sport?

I guess football to watch – best memories of Granddad (Tottenham) and dad, and still watch with little bro and partner (both Gooners).

Boothroyd or Bercow?

Bercow on gender/diversity sensitive reforms.

Restoration or Renewal?

Both, but former without latter will be irrelevant to the better working of the institution.

Cat or Dog?

Neither.

Fish and chips or Curry?

Both, at least once a month.

Planes, trains or automobiles?

The Eurostar to Brussels.

Scones: Devonshire or Cornish Method?

I don’t need the cream.

And, finally, a question asked by 8-year-old Seth: Would you rather have chips for fingers, or chocolate eclairs for thumbs??

Chips  – I think the chocolate eclairs will drip chocolate and cream on my clothes… and I like clothes too much.