Katy Birch

Katy Birch is a Lecturer in Nineteenth-Century Literature at the Department of English & Creative Writing, Aberystwyth University. Her research specializes in Victorian women's writing, particularly poetry, and editorial practices in periodicals like Punch magazine.

• PhD thesis examined feminist poets' use of Darwinian evolutionary imagery
• Currently developing a monograph on female contributors to Punch magazine
• Teaches undergraduate modules on Romantic and Victorian literature including The Mark of the Beast, Nineteenth-Century Literature, and Creative Practice

Research Focus: Victorian women's writing, feminist poetry, Punch magazine contributions, and evolutionary theory intersections with literature. Her work contributes to understanding gender representation in historical periodicals and stereotype subversion.

Publications: Recent works analyze New Woman writers' strategies in Punch, interspecies hierarchies in May Kendall's poetry, and deconstruct 'ugly suffragette' stereotypes. All publications demonstrate her expertise in combining literary analysis with feminist theory.

Academic Engagement: Active in organizing periodical studies events and serving on the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals' digital committee.