Find Academic Supervisors

Emma MasonView profile

Professor

• Poetry
• Christianity and Literature
• Philosophy and Literature
• +7 more

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.

Natalie Hanley-SmithView profile

Lecturer

• Georgian Britain
• Marriage History
• Adultery History
• +7 more

Natalie Hanley-Smith is a Teaching Fellow in early modern history at the University of Warwick, specializing in Georgian Britain and its social-cultural dynamics. Her research expertise encompasses: Marriage history and unconventional relationships in Georgian Britain Historical perspectives on adultery, emotion, and gossip Political culture during the Enlightenment and Romantic eras Women's experiences in British colonial and expatriate communities Representations of intimacy and morality in historical art Dr. Hanley-Smith's recent publications analyze the historical representation of adultery in art across centuries, from Renaissance biblical scenes to Pre-Raphaelite works and satirical cartoons. Her work reveals how artistic depictions of infidelity have consistently served as cultural touchstones for examining societal attitudes toward passion, guilt, desire, and moral judgment, while also reflecting broader transformations in concepts of individualism and privacy. Currently consolidating her doctoral research into a monograph titled "Controversial Intimacies: Marriage, Gossip, and Scandal in British Society, c.1780-1840," she has co-edited a special issue of Parliamentary History on "Passion, Politics, and Parliament" and has a forthcoming chapter examining representations of George IV's final mistress.

Angela DunstanView profile

Associate Professor

• Victorian Literature
• Visual Culture
• Sculpture Studies
• +6 more

Dr Angela Dunstan is a Reader in English Literature and Visual Culture at Queen Mary University of London's Department of English, School of the Arts. She holds a PhD from the University of Sydney and has taught at institutions including Oxford University College and the University of Sydney. As International Lead for the School of the Arts, she focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of literature and visual culture, particularly in the long 19th century. Her work examines technologies of replication, art authenticity, sculpture, urban culture, and global scholarly practices. Her research explores Victorian sculptural replication, the global circulation of English literature via literary societies, and the history of pedagogy. Notable projects include her forthcoming monograph Reading Victorian Sculpture (Edinburgh University Press) and co-edited collections like Tribute and Trade: China and Global Modernity . She has supervised doctoral theses on children’s literature and British postwar land art. Teaching includes undergraduate and postgraduate courses on Victorian literature, London’s cultural spaces, and art histories. Dunstan’s public engagement includes curatorial advisory roles, digital humanities projects (e.g., Edinburgh Review in the Jeffrey Years), and contributions to Victorian special correspondents databases. She actively participates in academic events and lectures on topics like Decadence and sculpture, emphasizing historical archives and interdisciplinary methodologies.

• Art History
• British Visual Culture
• Gender Studies
• +9 more

Meaghan Clarke is a Professor in Art History at the University of Sussex, affiliated with the School of Media, Arts and Humanities. She joined the university in 2004 and has held collaborative projects with institutions like the National Portrait Gallery, National Trust, V&A, and the Harry Ransom Centre. Her research focuses on British visual and material culture, gender, exhibition history, art writing, taste, portraiture, travel, fashionability, and Canadian art, with a particular emphasis on the Victorian and Edwardian eras. She explores themes such as connoisseurship, collecting practices, and the role of women in shaping art historiography and museum culture. Clarke has secured funding from prestigious organizations including the SSHRC, AHRC, Leverhulme Trust, and British Academy. Her grants include projects like 'Connoisseurial Intimacies: 1870-1930' and 'Fashionability, Exhibition Culture and Gender Politics: Fair Women.' Her work bridges academic research and public engagement, often collaborating with museums to contextualize historical and contemporary art narratives. She has also served as a Trustee of the Art Historians Association and an External Advisor for cultural institutions. Her teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate modules in Modern and Contemporary Art, Methodology, and interdisciplinary subjects. Undergraduate courses include Stories of Art , Victorian Art and Society , and Whose Heritage? , while postgraduate modules cover Body and Society and museum curating. She actively supervises doctoral research, with completed projects addressing topics like Pre-Raphaelite art, colonial collecting, and the Women's International Art Club. Current supervisees include researchers examining the Royal Pavilion's decorative scheme and gender dynamics in Towner Art Gallery. Clarke’s scientific achievements include a Leverhulme Special Research Fellowship and a British Academy-funded conference. Her publications and projects highlight the intersection of gender, art criticism, and institutional practices, revealing evolving roles of women in cultural mediation and historical discourse.

Ana Parejo VadilloView profile

Professor

• Victorian Literature
• Decadence
• Cosmopolitanism
• +7 more

Ana Parejo Vadillo is Reader in Victorian Literature and Culture at Birkbeck, University of London's School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication. Previously holding a lectureship at the University of Exeter and teaching positions at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and the Dickens Universe at UC Santa Cruz, she has established herself as a leading scholar in Victorian literary studies with particular expertise in decadence, cosmopolitanism, and women's writing. Dr. Vadillo's research focuses on nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literature with specializations in poetry, metropolitan studies, arts and print media, fashion, and women's writing. Her work explores Pre-Raphaelitism, Aestheticism and Decadence; Cosmopolitanisms; and Victorian modernisms. She has particular expertise on Michael Field, Amy Levy, Christina Rossetti, Walter Pater, Alice Meynell, Oscar Wilde, and Virginia Woolf. Her scholarship demonstrates consistent engagement with transnational literary networks and the intersection of aesthetic movements with political concerns. Her publications reveal a trajectory from early work on urban aestheticism and women poets to increasingly sophisticated explorations of cosmopolitan dimensions of decadent writing. Recent scholarship shows growing interest in digital humanities approaches to nineteenth-century texts while maintaining deep engagement with poetic form and literary history. Her work consistently bridges traditional literary scholarship with contemporary theoretical concerns. Shortlisted for the 2006 ESSE Book Awards for Cultural Studies Nominated for Modern Language Association 2011 Prize for Distinguished Scholarly Edition AHRC Project Pre-Raphaelites Online (PRO) Co-PI (2019) British Academy Small Research Grant recipient (2008) Armstrong Library Fellowship Dr. Vadillo is an experienced PhD supervisor with numerous doctoral completions in areas including British Decadence, Aubrey Beardsley reception, Futurism, and women's writing. She has secured significant funding from AHRC, British Academy, and BAVS for her research projects. As Director of the London Nineteenth-Century Seminar (2009-2017) and Co-Director of the Birkbeck Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies (2014-2018), she has played a key organizational role in Victorian studies. She chairs the Margaret Harkness Prize and is a core member of the Writing 1900 scholarly network.

Rebekah LambView profile

Lecturer

• Theological Aesthetics
• Theology and Literature
• Theology and Visual Culture
• +4 more

Dr. Rebekah Lamb serves as Lecturer in Theology, Imagination and the Arts at the University of St Andrews' School of Divinity, where she bridges theological inquiry with artistic expression in late modern contexts. Her role encompasses teaching, research leadership, and public engagement through media and cultural institutions. Her academic formation includes: PhD in Victorian and Twentieth-Century British and Irish Literature (Western University) MA in English Literature (Western University) BA (Hons) in Liberal Arts with international study in New Hampshire and Rome (Thomas More College) Dr. Lamb's research pioneers theological aesthetics as a critical framework for examining art's capacity to explore ethical formation and spiritual devotion. Her work interrogates: Literary-theological intersections in Victorian and modern texts Visual culture's role in religious imagination Catholic intellectual traditions through figures like Newman and Rossetti Contemporary applications of pre-modern aesthetic theories She positions artistic practice as essential for navigating modernity's spiritual challenges. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals concentrated exploration of John Henry Newman's theological legacy, particularly his Mariology and historical consciousness, alongside structural studies of Victorian Catholicism. Her scholarship consistently connects aesthetic theory with practical devotion across Pre-Raphaelite literature, Catholic social teaching, and modern literary criticism. Her distinctions include: Associate Dietrich von Hildebrand Scholar (2020) Hildebrand Project Scholarship (2016) Kuyper Emerging Scholar Fellowship (2012) Ontario Graduate Scholarships (2012, 2013) As active PhD supervisor (Bethany Gilbert, Lydia Kelliney), Dr. Lamb directs next-generation scholarship while leading the RSE-funded Catholic Women Writers in Scotland and Beyond project. This initiative—producing Oxford University Press' first Handbook of Catholic Women Writers —exemplifies her commitment to recovering marginalized theological voices through institutional collaboration and public humanities engagement. She anchors her work in the Institute of Theology, Imagination and the Arts (ITIA), where she organizes research seminars, and extends her influence as trustee of Stonyhurst's Christian Heritage Centre, shaping national conversations on theology's cultural impact.

Dinah RoeView profile

Academic

• 19th Century Literature
• Victorian Poetry
• Pre-Raphaelitism
• +14 more

Dinah Roe is a Reader in 19th Century Literature and Research Lead for English, Creative Writing and Modern Languages at Oxford Brookes University, School of Education, Humanities and Languages. She is a leading scholar in Victorian literature, with a focus on Pre-Raphaelitism, poetry, and the intersections between literary and visual arts. BA from Vassar College PhD in English Literature from University College London (2004) Her research centers on 19th-century British literature, particularly the works of Christina Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris, and Algernon Charles Swinburne. She explores the interdisciplinary connections between poetry, art, and material culture, with a strong emphasis on Pre-Raphaelite aesthetics. Her work often examines book illustration, decorative arts, and the materiality of text and image. Recent publications reveal a consistent focus on the interplay of visual and literary elements in Victorian culture, particularly how Pre-Raphaelite artists and poets used material forms (frames, glass, gardens) as metaphors for spiritual and aesthetic ideals. Her articles span journals such as Victorian Literature and Culture , Journal of Pre-Raphaelite Studies , and Victoriographies , reflecting a deep engagement with both literary and art historical methodologies. Her scientific recognition includes the Overseas Research Scholarship and the Oxford Brookes Research Excellence Award. She has delivered keynotes and public lectures at institutions including the Ashmolean Museum, Royal Holloway, and the National Gallery. Overseas Research Scholarship Oxford Brookes Research Excellence Award Dinah Roe actively supervises PhD, MA, and BA students in 18th and 19th-century literature, especially Romantic and Victorian poetry and fiction. She has examined multiple PhD theses on Pre-Raphaelitism. Her current research includes editing The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti and authoring a monograph on literary and visual arts in the Pre-Raphaelite movement. She has collaborated on research networks and conferences, including the AHRC-funded 'Reading the Pre-Raphaelites' and co-organized events with the Pre-Raphaelite Society and Birkbeck. She is affiliated with the Poetry Centre and research groups focused on materialities at Oxford Brookes. Her public engagement includes appearances on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Front Row’, BBC Radio 3’s ‘The Verb’, and BBC4’s ‘Lucy Worsley’s Christmas Carol Odyssey’, where she discussed Christina Rossetti’s poetry and its cultural legacy.

• Italian Literature
• Comparative Literature
• Romanticism
• +17 more

Fabio A. Camilletti is Professor of Italian Studies and Literature at the University of Warwick , affiliated with the School of Modern Languages and Cultures . He has held visiting positions at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, IULM Milan, and the Università del Piemonte Orientale, and is set to join the Institute of Languages, Cultures, and Societies, University of London, as a Visiting Research Fellow in 2024–25. His research focuses on 19th- and 20th-century Italian literature through a comparative and theoretical lens, with core interests in Italian Romanticism (especially Leopardi and Manzoni), the literary afterlife of Dante , and the Gothic and Occulture in Italian and European contexts. He has led major funded projects, including BA and AHRC grants on transnational Gothic and Romanticism. His recent publications include the monographs Spettri familiari (2024), Manzoni gotico (2023), and The Portrait of Beatrice (2019). His work often explores spectrality, the unconscious, and the intersection of literature with psychoanalysis and visual culture. He has edited critical editions of Fantasmagoriana and early Frankenstein drafts, and translated John Polidori’s writings. He supervises PhD students on topics ranging from spiritualism to Gothic literature and teaches undergraduate modules on Dante, European Gothic, and Italian storytelling. He is active in academic networks and serves on editorial boards for journals such as Leopardiana and Italian Culture . Edinburgh Gadda Prize-Crolla Amato Prize (2018), 5th place ex aequo for Italia lunare He has supervised numerous PhD students and led research events such as the international conference Metamorphosing Dante (2009) and Phantasmata (2009). He is currently developing a long-term project on Purgatory in Italian literature and the Dante and Ouija Board initiative, linking spirit writings with the prehistory of artificial intelligence.

Sheona BeaumontView profile

Research Fellow

• Theology and the Arts
• Photography Theory
• Biblical Reception in Visual Culture
• +3 more

Dr. Sheona Beaumont is a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Theology & Religious Studies at King's College London, part of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. She holds a PhD from the University of Gloucestershire, focusing on biblical reception in photography. Her work bridges theology, visual arts, and media studies, exploring how religious imagination intersects with contemporary visual culture. Key affiliations include residencies at Churches Together on Dartmoor, Exeter Cathedral, Trinity College Bristol, and St Cyriac’s Church. She served as Bishop Otter Scholar (Diocese of Chichester, 2017-2020). Her creative practice includes a long-form photo psalter and collaborations with independent organizations like Visual Theology, which she co-founded with Madeleine Emerald Thiele to explore spiritual imagination in visual culture. Research interests center on theologies of visual realism, photographic theory, and ecclesial-art relations. She critiques naturalistic representation paradigms, emphasizing creativity's role in shaping public theology. Publications include authored and co-edited works on biblical imagery, Pre-Raphaelite religious art, and transformative Christian thought in visual practice. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates artistic creation with scholarly inquiry, reflecting a commitment to practice-led research that engages both academic and lay audiences through exhibitions, photobooks, and public events.

Kate NicholsView profile

Associate Professor

• Victorian Art
• Classical Reception Studies
• Art and Imperialism
• +4 more

Dr. Kate Nichols is an Associate Professor in Art History at the University of Birmingham's Department of Art History, Curating and Visual Studies. She serves as Senior Tutor for the School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music and oversees postgraduate research in her department. Her academic background includes a BA in Classical Studies (Bristol), MSt in Greek/Roman History (Oxford), and a PhD in Classical Reception Studies (Birkbeck College, London). Her research focuses on Victorian British and imperial art, classical reception, and the intersections of art with race, gender, and imperialism. She has authored Greece and Rome at the Crystal Palace: Classical Sculpture and Modern Britain (2015) and is currently working on a global history of Victorian art exploring imperialism's impact on art production. She co-founded Midlands Art Papers (2016–2019) and co-convenes the British Art Network’s 'Race, Empire and the Pre-Raphaelites' group. Recent publications examine colonial monuments, indigenous dispossession in art galleries, and Victorian sculpture’s religious dimensions. She advises over a dozen PhD students on topics ranging from Pre-Raphaelite legacies to animal studies in art. Her work bridges academia and public engagement, including curating exhibitions on animals in art and leading initiatives like the Rainbow Trail in university collections.

Liz PrettejohnView profile

Professor

• Victorian Art
• Art History
• Pre-Raphaelites
• +4 more

Professor Liz Prettejohn is a leading scholar of Victorian art and aesthetics, currently serving as Professor of History of Art and Head of Department at the University of York. She holds a BA from Harvard University and MA/PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art. Her career includes roles as Curator of Paintings at Birmingham Museums, and academic positions at the Universities of Plymouth and Bristol. As a researcher, she specializes in Victorian art's reception, Pre-Raphaelite movements, and the interplay between aesthetics and art practice. She has curated major exhibitions on figures like Lawrence Alma-Tadema and John William Waterhouse, and delivered prestigious lectures such as the Paul Mellon Lectures (2011). Education: BA in American Art & Architecture, Harvard University MA and PhD in British/French Art, Courtauld Institute of Art Research Interests: Her work explores Victorian painting, Pre-Raphaelites, Aestheticism, and the critical reception of British art. She investigates how Victorian artists engaged with classical antiquity and modernist trends, as seen in her books like Beauty and Art 1750–2000 and Modernity of Ancient Sculpture . Current projects include a study on British art between 1880–1930, re-evaluating its role in modernism. Awards & Grants: Leverhulme Trust International Network Grant (Enchanted Modernities) Winner, 2008 Historians of British Art Book Award ( Art for Art’s Sake ) Teaching & Leadership: Leads undergraduate courses on Victorian Art and postgraduate studies on the Pre-Raphaelites. Served as Head of Department at York (2012–16; 2020–present). Active in editorial roles for journals like Art History and the Paul Mellon Centre. Exhibitions & Outreach: Co-curated high-profile exhibitions including Lawrence Alma-Tadema: At Home in Antiquity and Dante Gabriel Rossetti . Organized conferences on topics like Alma-Tadema’s influence and Victorian aesthetics.

• Victorian poetry and poetics
• Gerard Manley Hopkins studies
• Nonsense literature
• +4 more

Dr. Martin Dubois serves as Associate Professor in the Department of English Studies at Durham University, where he joined in 2018 after teaching positions at Newcastle and Teesside Universities. He directs the Centre for Poetry and Poetics and holds significant administrative roles including former Chair of the MA Board of Examiners and Co-Director of Postgraduate Studies. His research centers on Victorian poetry with three major strands: groundbreaking work on Gerard Manley Hopkins challenging unified interpretations of his religious poetry; innovative studies of Victorian nonsense literature examining Edward Lear's colonial dimensions; and pioneering research on vernacular/dialect poetics analyzing voice-print relationships. His monograph Gerard Manley Hopkins and the Poetry of Religious Experience (2017) and edited collection Gerard Manley Hopkins in Context (2025) represent key contributions to the field. Dubois's recent publications reveal evolving scholarly trajectories across religious poetry, nonsense studies, and dialect representation. His work demonstrates increasing interdisciplinary reach while maintaining Victorian literary focus, with notable methodological shifts toward postcolonial analysis and linguistic materiality. Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Editorial board member, Hopkins Quarterly Book reviews in Modern Language Review , Nineteenth-Century Literature , and Tennyson Research Bulletin Actively supervising postgraduate research, Dubois has successfully guided three PhD candidates to completion while examining seven additional dissertations. His leadership extends to directing the Centre for Poetry and Poetics, fostering collaborative research environments, and developing postgraduate programs that integrate historical scholarship with contemporary theoretical approaches.

Phillippa BennettView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Nineteenth-Century Literature
• William Morris Studies
• Medievalism
• +14 more

Dr. Phillippa Bennett is a Senior Lecturer in English & Creative Writing and Programme Leader for the BA English programme at the University of Northampton. She is affiliated with multiple research centres, including the Centre for Cultural and Literary Studies, the Centre for Historical Studies, and the Centre for Sustainable Futures. Education: Ph.D., Birkbeck College, University of London (The Last Romances of William Morris) MA in Nineteenth-Century English and American Literature (Distinction), King's College, University of London BA English (First Class), Royal Holloway, University of London Her research centers on 19th-century literature, with a deep focus on William Morris, medievalism, the romance form, gothic and utopian writing, and the interplay between aesthetics and politics in the 19th century. She explores themes of rewilding, environmental justice, and the revival of Nordic literature. Her teaching includes modules on Nineteenth-Century Literature, Gothic Literature, Victorian Fantasy, and Brave New Worlds. Her recent publications reveal a consistent engagement with William Morris’s literary and political legacy, particularly his later romances. The works reflect interdisciplinary interests bridging literature, environmental thought, utopianism, and socialist ideals. Key themes include wonder, wilderness, revolution, and education. Scientific Awards and Recognition: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Member, Editorial Board, Journal of William Morris Studies She actively supervises PhD students in English and Creative Writing, with completed projects on gender in fairy tales, anthropocene themes in children's fantasy, translation challenges in Arabic literature, and the Gothic in young adult fiction. She has received research grants and participated in numerous academic activities, including organizing conferences and delivering public lectures. She has also contributed to podcasts and media discussions on fantasy literature. Dr. Bennett leads workshops such as the Women Writers' Retreat and Women in Research, and has been involved in public engagement initiatives, including lectures for the William Morris Society. Her academic network is active in cultural and literary studies, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary and socially engaged scholarship.

Matthew PotterView profile

Professor

• Art History
• Visual Culture
• Cultural Diplomacy
• +7 more

Matthew Potter is a Professor in Art and Design History at Northumbria University’s School of Design Arts and Creative Industries. He specializes in the history of visual culture (1800–1950), focusing on art education, art collecting, and international cultural exchanges within the British World. His work challenges assumptions about colonial art dynamics, particularly how Australian national galleries negotiated cultural identity through UK art acquisitions. PhD in History of Art, Birkbeck University of London (2004) MA in History of Art, Courtauld Institute (1999) BA in Modern History, University of Oxford (1998) His research spans three monographs: The Inspirational Genius of Germany (2012/2016), British Art for Australia (2019), and a forthcoming work on Georgian satirical cartoons. His 15 most recent publications analyze topics such as German-British art relations, Victorian art exhibitions, and the global reception of Pre-Raphaelite and 19th-century British art.

Suzanne Fagence CooperView profile

Research Fellow

• 19th and 20th Century British Art
• Pre-Raphaelite Movement
• Aestheticism
• +3 more

Dr Suzanne Fagence Cooper is an Honorary Visiting Fellow in the Department of History of Art at the University of York. She holds a BA from the University of Oxford, an MA from the University of London, and a PhD jointly awarded by the V&A Museum and Brunel University. Her research focuses on 19th and 20th-century British art with particular emphasis on women's contributions to design and interior spaces, exploring intersections between art, music, and literature. Her career includes 12 years as a curator and Research Fellow at the V&A Museum, where she contributed to major exhibitions like 'The Cult of Beauty: Aestheticism in Britain' (2011) and 'Inventing New Britain: the Victorian Vision' (2001). She has also held roles at the University of Bern, Halcyon Gallery, and York Art Gallery. Recent projects include co-curating 'Ruskin, Turner and Storm Cloud' (2017-2019) under Paul Mellon Centre grants and authoring 'How We Might Live: At Home with Jane and William Morris' (2022). Her interdisciplinary approach is evident in studies linking Burne-Jones to music, Victorian gender roles in design, and Ruskin's environmental philosophy. She lectures globally for organizations like Cunard and The Art Fund, and serves as a trustee for the Burne-Jones Catalogue Raisonné. Current research explores apocalyptic themes in Burne-Jones' work and Ruskin's legacy through ecotherapy initiatives.