Emily Direen

Emily Direen is a Lecturer and Indigenous Fellow at the University of Tasmania's School of Humanities within the College of Arts, Law and Education. She specializes in Indigenous education, First Nations sovereignty, and literary/filmic representations of childhood and youth. Her research integrates affect theory to analyze cultural discourses around children's relationships with adults, institutions, and spaces.

Education:

• BA/BFA (English/Photography), University of Tasmania (2007)
• BA (Hons) in English (1st Class), University of Tasmania (2008)
• MA in English Literature (1st Class), University of Melbourne (2015)
• PhD Candidate in English Literature (Thesis: Upheaval and Revivification: The Dynamics of Affect between Adults and Children in Contemporary Middlebrow Fiction)

Research Interests: Her work explores child/adolescent representations in literature/film, middlebrow fiction, neo-Victorian narratives, and Indigenous knowledge practices. She advocates for curricula that amplify First Nations voices and promote decolonizing education.

Awards:

• Australian Postgraduate Award (APA)
• Katrina Dawson Fellowship
• Amy Gaye Cowper Tennent Memorial Scholarship
• Multiple travel grants (GRATS and RAGS)

Teaching & Advocacy: Emily has taught at both the University of Tasmania and Melbourne, focusing on academic skills, Indigenous pedagogy, and curriculum design. She co-directed the Bachelor of Arts Extended program, fostering Indigenous student pathways into tertiary education.