Robert Stilling

Robert Stilling is an Associate Professor and Director of the Literature, Media, and Culture program at Florida State University (Ph.D., University of Virginia; B.A., Yale University). His research explores intersections of decadence studies, transnational modernism, and postcolonial literature, focusing on British, Irish, and postcolonial writers. Key works include his book Beginning at the End: Decadence, Modernism, and Postcolonial Poetry (Harvard UP, 2018), which examines how postcolonial artists reinterpreted European decadence. Current projects expand on global decadent literature, analyzing how peripheral writers critique Western modernity.

His research interests span Fin-de-siècle literature, queer literature, and poetry studies. Awards include the Modernist Studies Association First Book Prize (2019) and a Special Collections Fellowship (2015). Courses taught include graduate seminars on postcolonial British poetry. His publications critique colonial legacies, hybrid identities, and literary form across global contexts, emphasizing decolonial perspectives and queer poetics.

• Education: Ph.D., University of Virginia; B.A., Yale University
• Key Projects: Book on global literary decadence, exploring writers like Walcott, Rushdie, and Achebe
• Awards: Honorable Mention MLA First Book Prize (2019), First Year Assistant Professor Award (FSU, 2013)

Stilling’s work bridges literary history and contemporary critical theory, offering innovative frameworks for understanding decadence as a decolonial and queer discourse.