Ian Higgins

Dr. Ian Higgins is an Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Literature, Languages & Linguistics at the Australian National University (ANU), where he taught English literature from 1991 to 2022. He holds a BA (First Class Honours with University Medal) and MA from the University of Queensland, and a PhD from the University of Warwick. His research focuses on British and Irish literary studies, particularly the Jacobite era (1688–1788), Jonathan Swift, and Charles Leslie.

• Education:
  • BA (First Class Honours, University Medal) and MA, University of Queensland
  • PhD, University of Warwick

His work emphasizes literary history, literature and politics, and contextual interpretation of texts from the late 17th to mid-20th centuries. He has contributed to the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jonathan Swift, a foundational scholarly project.

Notable awards include the University Medal for his undergraduate work. Higgins has authored or edited over 36 publications, with recent work focusing on Swift’s religious themes, Jacobite-era cultural memory, and eighteenth-century political journalism.

• Scientific Awards:
  • University Medal (University of Queensland)

His academic contributions also include editing and co-authoring major volumes, such as Jonathan Swift in Context and chapters in The Cambridge Companion to Gulliver’s Travels. His research bridges historical analysis with literary interpretation, particularly in politically charged contexts.