Ryan Hanley

Ryan Hanley is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Fellow in History at the University of Bristol. His work focuses on redefining Black British intellectual contributions to eighteenth-century British society, moving beyond the traditional slavery and abolition frameworks. He authored the seminal work Beyond Slavery and Abolition: Black British Writing, c. 1770 -1830 (Cambridge University Press, 2019), which examines the role of Black writers in shaping modern politics, culture, and the arts.

His research interests span Early Modern History, Literary Studies, and African Studies, with a particular emphasis on how marginalized voices influenced Enlightenment-era societal transformations. Hanley’s interdisciplinary approach combines cultural biography with analyses of colonial and imperial dynamics.

He holds the prestigious British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship, reflecting his scholarly contributions to understanding marginalized narratives in British history. While no advising relationships or grants are explicitly documented here, his work intersects with broader themes explored by collaborative research groups like the Treatied Spaces Research Cluster (affiliated with the University of Hull).

His publications highlight intersections between colonialism, intellectual history, and cultural production, offering fresh perspectives on Britain’s transition to modernity through underrepresented voices.