Denisse Lazo

Dr. Denisse Lazo is a Lecturer in Hispanic Studies at the University of Reading, affiliated with the School of Literature and Languages. She teaches Spanish language and culture modules and leads research in Latin American cultural studies, with a focus on gender, political fiction, and audiovisual resistance.

Education:

• PhD in Modern Languages, University of Oxford
• MSt in Women’s Studies, University of Oxford
• Postgraduate Diploma in Gender Studies and Public Policies, Universidad de Chile
• Licenciatura in English Linguistics and Literature, Universidad de Chile

Her research centers on the politics of fiction in Latin America, especially the representation of women’s political agency. She employs mixed methods, combining literary and film analysis with archival and oral history. A key project, Revolution Through Her Voice, examines women’s cultural resistance across the 20th and 21st centuries, including contributions to workers’ press and independent cinema. She collaborates with ZonaSur Film Production to promote community-engaged film exhibition.

Her recent publications, from 2015 to 2025, reveal a consistent engagement with Chilean post-dictatorship literature, feminist theory, and narrative strategies of resistance. Authors like Diamela Eltit and Alberto Fuguet feature prominently, analyzed through lenses of gender, memory, and political transition. The interdisciplinary nature of her work spans literary criticism, gender studies, cultural history, and political theory.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

She welcomes research supervision in her areas of expertise and has served as Year Abroad Coordinator for Spanish. Her prior experience at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) continues to inform her interdisciplinary and socially engaged scholarship.

Labs and Collaborations:

• Collaborator with ZonaSur Film Production, supporting independent Latin American filmmakers and fostering academic-practitioner-community dialogue through film.