Leslie Ritchie

Dr. Leslie Ritchie is Professor of English at Queen's University specializing in 18th-century literature's intersections with media and performing arts.

Education:

• Ph.D. English, McMaster University
• M.A. English, Western University
• B.Mus. and B.Ed., Western University

Research examines celebrity construction through media (David Garrick), press freedoms (William Woodfall), and theatrical ephemera. Current projects analyze abolitionist discourse in parliamentary reporting and theatre reviews.

Publications explore theatrical anecdotes, celebrity mediation, and performance-text relationships. Serves on editorial boards for Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Theatre Research and ERC-funded Theatronomics project.

Supervises graduate theses on performance studies and print culture. Recipient of Principal's Promoting Student Inquiry Award for innovative course design (2025).