Tara West

Tara West is a Lecturer at Queen's University Belfast's School of Arts, English and Languages, specializing in research using Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory to explore working-class experiences in Northern Ireland. She teaches creative writing at both the BA and MA levels and is based at the Seamus Heaney Centre. Her creative works include novels, short stories, and a memoir addressing mental health. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Queen’s.

Research & Achievements: Her research bridges sociology and literature, focusing on social mobility and working-class narratives. She has authored multiple novels and memoirs, including Fodder (2002), Poets Are Eaten as a Delicacy in Japan (2013), and The Upside of Down (2020). Her work has been featured in The Irish Times and on BBC Radio 4. She won an RTÉ Storyland commission and was nominated for the Edinburgh International TV Festival’s Debut Writer Award.

Grants & Activities: Developed a TV series with BBC Writersroom Belfast support and participated in the Look North! Festival (2024). Her research contributes to UN SDGs related to reduced inequalities and quality education.