David Potter

David Potter is an Associate Lecturer (PhD Teaching Fellow) in European Studies at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Arts. He holds an MPhil and BA (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney and is currently completing his PhD thesis titled 'Mystical Time and Other Worlds in Late Nabokov' under the supervision of Vrasidas Karalis and Benjamin Nickl.

His educational background includes extensive archival research at the Library of Congress, Harvard Library, and the New York Public Library, focusing on Vladimir Nabokov's papers. Potter's academic journey has been supported by numerous prestigious scholarships including the Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship and the James Kentley Memorial Funds Scholarship.

Potter's research explores the intersections of literature, mysticism, and metaphysical thought, particularly in twentieth-century works that engage with spectral and multidimensional iconography. His scholarship focuses on how writers like Schulz and Nabokov incorporate mysticism, esotericism, quantum theory, and neurological models of perception into their fiction, creating innovative approaches to fictional spacetime. His work spans interdisciplinary fields including International and Comparative Literature Studies, English, Film Studies, Jewish Studies, and American Studies.

His recent publications examine Nabokov's engagement with time philosophy, particularly through the lens of J.W. Dunne's theories, and explore the complex temporal structures in works like Ada and Pale Fire. Potter's scholarship reveals patterns of paramnesia, anticipatory memory, and multidimensional time across Nabokov's late fiction, demonstrating how these texts encode their authors' interests in esoteric traditions and theoretical physics.

• James Kentley Memorial Funds Scholarship, University of Sydney (2024)
• Research Grant for Archival Research, International Vladimir Nabokov Society (2024)
• Postgraduate Research Support Scheme (PRSS), University of Sydney (2023)
• Doctoral Research Travel Grant, University of Sydney (2022)
• Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship, University of Sydney (2021-present)

Potter teaches EUST2005: Institutions of the European Union and previously taught ENGL1002: Narratives of Romance and Adventure (2018-2019). He is an active member of the International Vladimir Nabokov Society (2018-present) and the French Nabokov Society (2023-present), regularly presenting at international conferences. His current projects include completing his PhD thesis, translating Bruno Schulz's book reviews, and writing memoiristic essays about Dan Curtis's Dark Shadows.