Viva Survivors Select is a series of curated collections of the best of the Viva Survivors daily blog, a monthly zine of viva help on a variety of topics and themes taken from eight years of daily posts.

Viva Survivors Select 05 is the Sparks Issue! Twenty-five short posts from the Viva Survivors archive on a variety of topics to help you reflect on the PhD journey, get to grips with viva prep and build confidence before the viva.

Each issue of Viva Survivors Select also includes new original writing by me to build on the themes, explore the viva in new ways or expand on my work. In this issue I reflect on the little things that make up a PhD and share a new reflective writing game to help with the viva prep period.

(formatted for A5 size, twenty pages including covers)

101 Steps To A Great Viva is a 24-page A5 zine to help postgraduate researchers as they prepare for their PhD viva. I share 101 actions that any PhD candidate can take to help them get ready for and have a great viva.

Created during a successful Kickstarter campaign in May 2023, 101 Steps To A Great Viva is my attempt to get someone to think proactively about their viva: what can you do to put yourself in a good position? What will you do?

I cover the viva from expectations to preparation, confidence-building to engaging with examiners. I'm extremely proud of the result and very grateful for the support I had to make it a reality.