Sarah Olive

Sarah Olive is a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Aston University and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the School of Educational Sciences at Bangor University. She has held visiting positions including the Megumi Visiting Professor in English at Kobe College, Japan (2022–2023), and has previously held academic roles at the University of York and the University of Birmingham. Her work bridges literary scholarship and educational practice, with a strong focus on Shakespeare pedagogy and young adult literature.

Her educational background includes a PhD in English from the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham (AHRC-funded, 2011), an M.Phil in Educational Research from the University of Cambridge (2005), and a First-Class B.A. (Hons) in English from the University of Adelaide (2003). She also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) from the University of York (2013), reflecting her commitment to teaching excellence.

Sarah Olive’s research centers on Shakespeare in education, both in the UK and internationally, particularly in East Asia. She explores how literature is taught across sectors—schools, higher education, theatre, and heritage—and how it is represented in popular culture and social media. Her work also delves into young adult gothic literature, especially vampire fiction’s reworkings of Romeo and Juliet, and its engagement with themes of consent and gendered violence. Her methodological approach is rooted in literary criticism, critical theory, cultural studies, and discourse analysis.

Her recent publications span Shakespeare adaptation, YA literature, television representations of Shakespeare, and educational policy. The articles show a clear trend toward interdisciplinary scholarship, combining literary analysis with media studies, education policy, and cultural critique. Her work often examines how Shakespeare functions as a cultural symbol and how his works are repurposed in global educational and artistic contexts.

• Impact Accelerator Award (2022)
• Megumi Kai Professorial Fellowship (2022)
• KESS2 Award (2022)
• Recognised Research Supervisor, UK Council for Graduate Education (2019)
• Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (2018)
• York Graduate Students’ Association Community Development Award (2017)
• York Widening Participation Grant (2016)
• Short-listed for THE Research Supervisor of the Year (2016)
• Nominated for YUSU Teacher of the Year (2016)

Sarah Olive is an experienced PhD supervisor, having guided students on topics including Shakespeare for human rights, poetry in Malta, and arts education in Turkish schools. She has led funded research projects on pandemic impacts on literature teaching in Wales, Shakespeare in East Asia, and using YA vampire fiction for sex and relationships education. She is actively involved in academic leadership, serving on Senate at Bangor, directing research, and co-directing the Collaborative Institute for Education Research, Evidence and Impact (CIEREI). She also founded and led the York Asia Research Network and co-founded the Gothic Association of Asia, demonstrating her commitment to international scholarly collaboration.

She is the Lead Editor of the peer-reviewed journal Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures and was the Founding Editor of Teaching Shakespeare. She has designed and delivered courses on Shakespeare, children’s literature, and literature pedagogy in the UK, Japan, and beyond. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to quality education and reduced inequalities.