Dr. Frances Smith is an Associate Professor in Film Studies at the University of Sussex's School of Media, Arts and Humanities. She holds a PhD in Film and Television Studies from the University of Warwick (2013), an MA in Management from Durham University (2008), and a Master of Modern Languages in French/Italian from Manchester University (2007). Her research focuses on teen cinema, female authorship, Hollywood and European cinema, and gender studies, with current work on Céline Sciamma's Girlhood. She authored Rethinking the Hollywood Teen Movie (2017) and co-edited Refocus: The Films of John Hughes (2021). Teaching includes convening Analysing Film, American Teen Cinema, and Working with Film modules. She has taught Gender and Representation, British Cinema, and Study Skills. Her awards include Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (2016). Active in PhD supervision focusing on teen cinema, female authorship, and gender in cinema. Publications span over 25 articles/chapters addressing topics like queer youth representation, transatlantic media comparisons, and directorial authorship in John Hughes and Amy Heckerling films. Research explores intersections of gender, space, and cultural identity in global popular cinema.
Professor Peter John Edgley Robinson is a distinguished academic and poet at the University of Reading, where he holds the position of Professor in the Department of English Literature, part of the School of Humanities. He is renowned for founding the English Literature with Creative Writing joint degree program and the MA in Creative Writing. His research focuses on modern and contemporary poetry, publishing, and translation, with a particular interest in 20th-century literary movements and interdisciplinary studies. Responsibilities include leading the Poetry & Poetics strand of the Modern Studies Centre and supervising doctoral research in creative writing and academic topics such as post-war Japanese poetry, Muriel Rukeyser’s work, and travel writing. He has held roles as poetry editor for Two Rivers Press and contributed to academic publications like The Fortnightly Review . His career includes teaching at Tohoku University in Japan and organizing events like the Reading Poetry Festival. Key awards include the Cheltenham Prize (1988), the John Florio Prize (2008), and Poetry Book Society recommendations. His publications span poetry collections, critical essays, translations, and novels, reflecting his expertise in literary analysis and creative expression. Notable works include The Sound Sense of Poetry (2018), Ravishing Europa (2019), and Retrieved Attachments (2023). Education: BA from University of York (1974), PhD from University of Cambridge (1981). Translations: Includes works by Vittorio Sereni, Pietro De Marchi, and Giorgio Bassani. Editorial Roles: Numbers magazine, Reading Poetry Festival , and The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary British and Irish Poetry . His research explores intersections between poetry, economics, and cultural identity, with a focus on publishing policies and lyrical forms. He remains active in mentoring emerging writers and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
Professor Matthew Treherne is a leading scholar in Italian literature at the University of Leeds, where he holds the position of Professor of Italian Literature in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. He currently serves as Pro-Dean for Research and Innovation, and co-directs the Leeds Centre for Dante Studies. His research bridges medieval and Renaissance literature with contemporary issues such as finance, ecology, and technology. PhD in Italian Literature, University of Cambridge (2007) Diploma in Management Studies, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge (2000) M.Phil in European Literature (Distinction), University of Cambridge (1999) BA in Modern and Medieval Languages (First-class), University of Cambridge (1997) Matthew Treherne's research focuses on Dante and late-medieval religious culture, with a strong emphasis on the liturgical imagination and theological discourse in poetry. He explores how Dante’s work can inform modern debates on the ecological crisis, financialisation, and time. His interdisciplinary approach integrates theology, philosophy, and cultural studies. He leads the project The Cultural Life of Money and Finance , which investigates how the humanities can shape financial futures. His recent publications include Dante’s ‘Commedia’ and the Liturgical Imagination and co-edited volumes on Dante’s theology. His recent scholarly articles and chapters show a consistent engagement with Dante’s theological and poetic structures, Tasso’s religious poetry, and the role of art and liturgy in early modern culture. Themes such as sacramentality, time, vision, and interdisciplinarity recur across his work, reflecting a deep commitment to understanding literature as a living, ethically engaged practice. University Teaching Fellowship Developmental University Teaching Fellowship Faculty of Arts Development Teaching Prize Treherne has supervised numerous PhD students and fosters research-led teaching, notably through projects like Discover Dante and the Leeds Dante Podcast . He has led major research initiatives, including the AHRC-funded Dante and Late Medieval Florence , and collaborates widely across disciplines and institutions. He is also active in public engagement, contributing to BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time and curating podcast series such as Conversations on Dante and Arts and Humanities Futures . He co-leads the Cultural Life of Money and Finance project with Invisible Flock, blending humanities research with creative practice.
Professor Johannes Zachhuber holds a professorship in Historical and Systematic Theology at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Theology and Religion. His research focuses on modern and postmodern theology, the Continental tradition of philosophy of religion (Kant, Schleiermacher, Hegel), theology of late antiquity, 19th-century theology, religion and politics, and theories of secularization. He examines theological institutions' role in shaping modern discourse while addressing contemporary debates on secularity. His scholarly work bridges historical theology with systematic inquiry, analyzing figures like Schleiermacher, Gregory of Nyssa, and Baur. Recent publications include studies on early Christian cosmology, Schleiermacher’s theology, and Baur’s historicist approach. He critiques secularization narratives and explores patristic thought’s philosophical dimensions. Publications span monographs, edited volumes, and reviews, reflecting his interdisciplinary engagement with theology’s historical and philosophical foundations. He contributes to debates on theology’s role in modern academia and society, emphasizing the interplay between historical context and theological reflection.
Simon O'Sullivan is a Professor of Art Theory and Practice and Programme Leader for the MA in Contemporary Art Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is affiliated with the Department of Visual Cultures, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of art, performance, and continental philosophy. His work explores themes such as mythopoesis, fictioning, and the production of subjectivity, with a particular interest in Deleuze and Guattari's theories. O’Sullivan collaborates under the name Plastique Fantastique, a performance fiction collective that interrogates aesthetics, subjectivity, and cultural politics through interdisciplinary practices. His research interests span aesthetics, continental philosophy, and modern/contemporary art, including ritual/performance, psycho/schizo-analysis, and non-philosophy. He has published extensively, including monographs like From Magic and Myth-Work to Care and Repair (2024) and Fictioning: The Myth-Functions of Contemporary Art and Philosophy (2019 with David Burrows). O’Sullivan’s work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing hybrid writing and speculative approaches to art and culture. He teaches on the MA Contemporary Art Theory and contributes to BA and MPhil/PhD programs, mentoring students in areas like theory-fiction, occulture, and care and repair. His collaborative art projects have been exhibited globally, and he frequently presents at international conferences on topics such as myth-science and speculative methodologies.
Joanna Pawlik is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Art History at the University of Sussex, within the School of Media, Arts and Humanities. Her research focuses on modern art and literature, emphasizing transnationalism, avant-gardism, and protest movements. She has been funded by prestigious grants like the Leverhulme Trust and the AHRC. Her 2021 monograph Remade in America , awarded the MSA First Book Prize, examines Surrealism's role in American activism post-1940. Current research explores fascist iconography in American art (1945–1980), funded by a Leverhulme Fellowship. Education: PhD in Art History, University of Sussex (2003–2008) MA in Art History, York University, Canada (2021–2022) BA Hons in Art History, University of East Anglia (2018–2021) Research Interests: Her work investigates surrealism's transnational legacies, anti-fascist art, feminist/queer methodologies, and postwar American visual culture. She examines how surrealist principles intersect with race, gender, class, and activism in movements like the Beat Generation and Black Arts Movement. Grants & Awards: Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2020–2022) Leverhulme Trust Grant 'Radical America: Afterlives' (2016) MSA First Book Prize (2021) Professional Activities: Co-director of the SAVAnT Doctoral School promoting interdisciplinary American visual studies. Supervises PhD projects on postwar American art, anti-fascism, and feminist/queer art history. Engages in public scholarship through interviews and exhibitions.
Professor Ben Bollig holds the position of Professor of Latin American Literature and Film at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages. He is also a Fellow and Tutor in Spanish at St Catherine's College, and an Associate Lecturer at St John's College. His research focuses on contemporary Latin American literature and film, with a specialization in Argentine poetry and its cinematic adaptations. He has authored or edited numerous books, including Moving Verses and The Poetry-Film Nexus in Latin America , and serves as editor of the Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies . Teaching responsibilities include the entire Spanish course for first-year students and Latin American literature and film options for upper years. He supervises MPhil/DPhil students in Latin American cultural studies, particularly Southern Cone literature and film. His work explores intersections of poetry, film, translation, and postcolonial theory, with a focus on Argentina's cultural production. He has published widely on topics such as poetic adaptation, political literature, and cultural activism. Key contributions include co-editing Latin American Cultural Studies: A Reader and producing translated volumes of Cristian Aliaga's work. His research themes span comparative literature, postcolonial studies, environmental humanities, and global cultural dynamics. He is actively engaged in academic leadership roles within his field, maintaining a strong international profile in cultural studies and literary criticism.
Professor Emma Mason is a leading academic in the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies at the University of Warwick . Her career spans roles as an educator, editor, and researcher with a focus on poetry, Christianity and literature, Catholic theology, and ecological themes in the long nineteenth-century . Editor of the Bloomsbury monograph series New Directions in Religion and Literature Co-editor of the Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory Director of the Comparative Religions and Literatures group at Warwick Her research explores spiritual materialism and ecological transformation , particularly through figures like Christina Rossetti. She is currently working on a study of Catholic mysticism in late 19th- to early 20th-century Europe. Mason's publications include Christina Rossetti: Poetry, Ecology, Faith (OUP, 2018) and co-edited volumes addressing religion in literary contexts. Recent Publications (2025-2027): Analysis of Newman's novels as ecological narratives Contributions to Cambridge and Oxford handbooks on religion and literature Editorial work on William Barnes' dialect poetry Studies on Victorian theological ecology and contemplation Scientific Awards: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Mason supervises postgraduate research in poetry, religion, and affect theory . She is on study leave until Easter 2026 but remains active in editorial and collaborative projects.
Graham Ward serves as Regius Professor of Divinity at Christ Church College, University of Oxford, and holds a Visiting Senior Research Fellow position in Theology at Campion Hall. His academic profile bridges institutional theology with cross-disciplinary cultural analysis within Oxford's theological framework. His research spans systematic theology, philosophy, and cultural studies, with concentrated focus on religion's interplay with anthropology, sociology, political theory, gender studies, and contemporary science. Current work involves a three-volume project developing culturally engaged systematic theology that confronts modern secular frameworks while re-examining Christian doctrine's societal relevance. Publication trends reveal sustained engagement with political theology (particularly through Carl Schmitt interpretations), deconstructive philosophy (Barth/Derrida dialogues), and cultural dynamics of religious practice. His scholarship consistently examines how theological concepts navigate modernity's collapse, addressing secularization through aesthetics, urban studies, and critical theory while maintaining doctrinal rigor.
Professor Wolfgang Vondey serves as Professor of Christian Theology and Pentecostal Studies in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham, where he directs the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies. A classically trained systematic theologian with expertise spanning philosophy, linguistics, and ethics, Vondey teaches in the Master of Arts programme in Evangelical and Charismatic Studies while maintaining an active research agenda that bridges academic theology with practical ecclesial concerns. His academic journey includes: MA in Japanese Studies, Japanese Linguistics, and Media Science from Philipps University Marburg, Germany (1994) MDiv from Pentecostal Theological Seminary, USA (1999) PhD in systematic theology and ethics from Marquette University, USA (2003) Postdoctoral fellowship at Boston College Faculty position at Regent University Divinity School (2005-2015), where he founded and directed the Regent Center for Renewal Studies Vondey's research focuses on Pentecostal and Charismatic theology with particular emphasis on pneumatology, ecclesiology, ecumenical theology, and the intersection of theology and science. His scholarly work spans diverse theological traditions from Catholic to postmodern thought, exploring ritual and liturgical studies, theological method, Christology, soteriology, and political theology. With a multilingual background (German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and Japanese), he brings international perspective to his analysis of global Pentecostalism. His publications reveal consistent engagement with contemporary Pentecostal theological challenges, examining political dimensions of glossolalia, corporate embodiment in Pentecostal tradition, synodality, and the public nature of Pentecostal ecclesiology. Vondey's work demonstrates how Pentecostal theology navigates tensions between mainstream and extreme expressions while maintaining theological coherence in global contexts. As an academic leader, Vondey co-edits the 'Christianity and Renewal – Interdisciplinary Studies' book series with Amos Yong and serves as founding chair of the ecumenical studies group of the Society for Pentecostal Studies. His supervision of numerous PhD students across diverse topics—from Pentecostal orality in Denmark to Word of Faith theology in Bolivia—demonstrates his commitment to developing the next generation of Pentecostal scholars worldwide.
Professor Janet Stewart is Executive Dean of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Visual Culture and German at Durham University. She holds a Ph.D in German and Sociology from the University of Glasgow and previously held positions at the University of Aberdeen. As founding Director of the Centre for Visual Arts and Culture, she leads interdisciplinary research initiatives. Her research focuses on visual culture, German literature, cultural sociology, and urban history, with current work exploring energy humanities and petroleum culture. She is author of 'Fashioning Vienna: Adolf Loos’s Cultural Criticism' (2000) and 'Public Speaking in the City' (2009), and co-editor of the 'Routledge Handbook of Energy Humanities'. Professor Stewart's publications demonstrate consistent focus on cultural representations of modernity, with recent work examining energy systems through sociological frameworks. Her articles bridge visual culture, urban studies, and energy humanities methodologies. Awards & Honors: Junior Fellowship, International Research Centre for Cultural Sciences Vienna (1995) Leverhulme Trust Study Abroad Studentship (1997-1998) Editor of German Life and Letters Advisory Board Member: Austrian Studies Yearbook, Journal of Austrian Studies AHRC Peer Review College member She supervises graduate students including Lenka Schmalisch and leads the Climate Imaginaries research project funded by the Swedish Research Council. As curator of the 'OilScapes' exhibition and co-organizer of international Petrocultures conferences, she builds interdisciplinary collaborations.
Professor Helen Finch (University of Leeds) is a leading scholar in German Literature , with a focus on Holocaust Studies , Queer Memory , and German-Jewish Cultural Production . Affiliated with the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies and the Centre for Jewish Studies , she co-leads the LCS Queer Area Studies Network and contributes to equality initiatives through the LGBT+ staff network . Research: Holocaust representation in German works, queer identity in postwar literature, transnational memory studies, curriculum design in German studies Awards: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2014) Academic Output : Her 15 most recent publications span Holocaust poetics , queer life writing , translation ethics , and Sebaldian intertextuality , with a particular focus on intersections between trauma , identity , and intergenerational testimony . Supervision : Currently guides PhD research on topics including transnational transphobia , queer art practices , and LGBTQ+ cross-cultural representation . Her students explore areas from German exile photography to postcolonial queer narratives .
Karsten Kenklies is a Senior Lecturer in Education at the Strathclyde Institute of Education, University of Strathclyde. Previously, he served as Junior-Professor (Chair for Comparative Education) at Jena University, Germany from 2003-2016. His work bridges Hermeneutic Pedagogy with intercultural comparisons, focusing on European, Japanese, and American educational theories. Key interests include Bildung , queer pedagogy, and Japanese arts-based education. Education: Multiple Masters (Science, Education, Philosophy, Arts) and PhD (Jena University, Germany). Research Focus: Systematic-conceptual analysis of education across cultures. Current projects explore pre-modern Japanese educational theories, continental Bildung concepts, and Anglo-Saxon self-formation ideas. Co-founder of ExET (Experiments in Education Theory), promoting conceptual research globally. Awards: Award for Fundamental Research (2007), Research & Conference Fellowship (2018). Teaching: Leads MSc Education Studies program, teaches History of Education, Pedagogical Theory, and Contemporary Challenges. Supervises PhD projects in areas like queer education, Japanese pedagogy, and hermeneutic approaches. Key Contributions: Over 78 publications including books, articles, and reviews. Active in international networks like the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain. Co-investigator on projects like 'What’s the ‘use’ in Higher Education?' (2025-2026).
Bran Nicol is a Professor of English Literature and University Co-Lead for Research Culture: People and Environment at the University of Surrey. He has led departments including the School of Literature and Languages (2016–2022) and served as Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Arts and Social Sciences (2022–2023). Previously, he directed the Centre for Studies in Literature at the University of Portsmouth. Education: PhD in English Literature, Lancaster University (1995) MA in English and Contemporary European Studies, University of Dundee (1990) Research Interests: Modern/contemporary British and American fiction, postmodernism, crime culture, autofiction, and the impact of AI on literature. Current projects include a biography of Jean Baudrillard and a volume on post-postmodernism. Teaching: Modules on postmodernism, literary theory, and science fiction. Supervises PhD students in areas like contemporary fiction and cultural studies. Grants/Advising: Part of the Techne AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership. Active in mentoring across 10 universities in Southeast England. Awards: No specific prizes mentioned, but recognized for scholarly contributions to postmodern literature.
Dr. Emily Cuming is a Senior Lecturer in the Humanities and Social Science school at Liverpool John Moores University , specializing in British literature, culture, and social history from the 19th century to the present. Her research focuses on maritime relations, working-class girlhood, life writing, and representations of domestic spaces including council estates, slums, and bedsits. PhD, MA, BA in English & Russian from University of Manchester (2006, 2002, 2001) Editor of Key Words: A Journal of Cultural Materialism Co-leader of the Home and Domestic Cultures research network Committee member of the Research Institute for Literature and Cultural History Board member of the Centre for Port and Maritime History Her research combines literary analysis with historical and cultural studies, emphasizing material culture, port cities, and marginalized voices. Recent publications include Maritime Relations: Life, Labour and Literature at the Water’s Edge, 1830-1914 (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2025) and Housing, Class and Gender in Modern British Writing, 1880-2012 (CUP, 2016). She has received multiple research grants including AHRC Connected Communities funding and Liverpool John Moores University QR awards. Dr. Cuming teaches undergraduate modules on Life Stories , Representing Domestic Space , and Waterscapes , as well as MA courses on Place: Imagining Place in Modern Times . She supervises three PhD projects and welcomes new supervisees in her research areas. 2025: Enhancing Research Cultures funding for 'The Sinking of the Lancastria' 2024: Editorial board member of Journal of Victorian Culture 2023: NCCPE Engage Prize for 'Around the Toilet' project 2022: Caird Short-term Research Fellowship 2016: NCCPE Engage Prize winner
