Simon Hardy

Dr. Simon Hardy is a senior academic at the University of Worcester, serving as Deputy Head of the Institute of Arts and Humanities and a Lecturer since 1995. His roles have included interim and permanent leadership positions, such as Head of the Department of English Media & Culture (2014–15), Head of History and Sociology (2015–23), and Head of the School of Humanities (2023–24).

His research focuses on the history of sexuality, the sociology of pornography, and media coverage of warfare. A major current project traces the genealogy of pornographic writing from the Renaissance to the late 19th century, spanning literature, history, and media studies. He earned his PhD in Sociology from the University of Essex (1995), where he also lectured before joining Worcester.

Publications include his book The Reader, The Author, His Woman and Her Lover (1998) and articles in journals like Sexualities, where he serves on the editorial board. His teaching spans topics such as media and social change, the history of sociological thought, and contemporary crisis analysis.