Emma NewportView profile
Associate Professor
Dr. Emma Newport is an Associate Professor in English Literature at the University of Sussex, School of Media, Arts and Humanities. She serves as the lead academic for the innovative Sussex Writes creative writing program and chairs the Women, Money and Markets conference series established in 2017. Her research spans eighteenth-century literature with a focus on women's positions in global exchanges of ideas and objects, particularly regarding Chinese cultural influences. She also pioneers work in digital life writing, examining how digital media transforms memorialization and identity construction through studies of GIFs, memes, and social media as contemporary forms of life writing. Dr. Newport's publications reveal a consistent interdisciplinary approach connecting historical literary studies with contemporary digital culture. Her work demonstrates how material culture, particularly porcelain, functioned as sites of female agency in the eighteenth century while exploring parallel questions about digital corporeality in the contemporary moment. Her research shows particular interest in gender, economics, and cross-cultural exchange across historical periods. Her scientific recognition includes a nomination for the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) for her innovative work on Sussex Writes. This program has created valuable partnerships between the university and local schools, transforming student experience through creative writing outreach. As an educator, Dr. Newport has developed and taught numerous courses including 'Thinking Literature,' 'Art of Short Fiction,' and 'Critical Approaches.' Her Sussex Writes program provides undergraduate and postgraduate students with teaching experience while widening university participation through creative writing workshops in local schools. Dr. Newport has organized significant academic events including the Women, Money and Markets conference series and public events at the Foundling Museum, demonstrating her commitment to both scholarly and public engagement with literary studies.