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Professor Dominic Alessio is a historian specializing in postcolonial, political, and cultural history of imperialism, with additional interests in the history of the extreme right. He holds a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and has taught at institutions including McMaster University, Victoria University of Wellington, and Trinity St David’ University. Currently based in the Department of Social Sciences & Humanities, he serves as Vice President International Programmes. His research explores empire formation, non-state actors in imperialism, and the intersection of the occult with far-right movements. Key recent projects include Folk, Faith and the Far Right (under contract with Manchester University Press) and studies on corporate imperialism in Africa and territorial acquisitions in the South China Sea. Alessio is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. Research interests span theories of empire, the occult and far-right ideologies, and science fiction/fantasy/horror media. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary geopolitical issues, emphasizing decolonial frameworks and the persistence of imperial legacies. Notable publications include analyses of U.S. imperialism, Pacific geopolitics, and the role of religion in non-state empires. He has delivered over 100 conference papers globally, including keynotes on West Papua and African corporate imperialism. Engagement includes roles as Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right and Research Associate at Teesside University’s Centre for Fascist/Anti-Fascist Studies. His interdisciplinary approach integrates historical scholarship with cultural critique, addressing modern manifestations of historical imperial and far-right dynamics.

• Theories of empire
• The occult and the far right
• Science fiction/Fantasy/Horror film and television
• +2 more

Stacey Abbott is Professor of Film at Northumbria University's School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries. A renowned expert in horror and genre studies, she has authored influential works on vampire cinema, television horror, and science fiction. Her research examines the evolution of horror genres across film and television, with particular focus on vampire narratives and supernatural television. Professor Abbott's scholarship explores: Cultural representations of vampires and zombies Evolution of horror genres in global television Gender representations in genre media Television spin-offs and cult series She serves on editorial boards for multiple academic journals including Science Fiction Film and Television and Horror Studies, and has supervised PhD research on topics ranging from found footage horror to feminist vampire narratives. Professor Abbott frequently contributes to public discourse through appearances at film festivals, museum events, and media outlets including BBC Culture, Empire Magazine, and NPR.

• Horror Studies
• Science Fiction
• Documentary Film
• +3 more

Dr Katherine Farrimond is an Associate Professor in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex's School of Media, Arts and Humanities. She joined Sussex as a Lecturer in 2015 and holds a PhD in English Literature from Newcastle University (2012). Her research focuses on gender, sexuality, and genre in contemporary popular culture, with particular attention to film/TV analysis, gothic/horror genres, feminist theory, and retro aesthetics. She is co-managing editor of REFRAME and serves on the Feminist Theory Journal advisory board. Education: PhD (Newcastle, 2012), MA in Modern and Contemporary Studies (Newcastle), BA in English Literature (Newcastle). She previously worked as a part-time tutor at Newcastle and visiting lecturer at Northumbria University before joining Sussex. Her research explores intersections of nostalgia, bisexuality representation, and feminist critiques of genre tropes. Recent work examines the femme fatale archetype in fashion/beauty media and the digital ephemera of consumer culture. Key publications include The Contemporary Femme Fatale: Gender, Genre and American Cinema (2017) and articles on horror fandom, noir cinema, and gendered violence in film. She currently supervises PhD students researching queer nostalgia, witch narratives, domestic noir, and animated national identity. Previously advised successful theses on fan activism, cinematic witchcraft, and virginity narratives. Her editorial work bridges academia and public discourse through feminist media criticism. Roles include Director of Student Wellbeing for her school (2024/25), reflecting her commitment to educational equity alongside scholarly innovation.

• Gender Studies
• Sexuality Studies
• Cultural Studies
• +7 more

Lucy Gough is a Creative Research Fellow in Script Writing at Aberystwyth University's Department of Theatre, Film, and Television Studies, with a distinguished career spanning over three decades as a professional playwright across theatre, radio, and television. Her work bridges academic research and industry practice through commissioned projects with major broadcasters and theatre companies. Gough holds a BA Hons in Drama from Aberystwyth University (1985) and an MA in Playwriting from the University of Birmingham. Her academic journey includes professional commissions from BBC Radio 3, Channel 4's Hollyoaks (for which she wrote regularly over ten years), and international theatre companies, establishing her dual expertise in creative practice and scholarly inquiry. Her research centers on cross-media adaptation processes—examining textual transformations between radio, film, and theatre—and the evolving role of writers in physical theatre spaces. Recent projects like the Arts Council of Wales-funded 'Beyond Words' (2010-2012) investigate how creative translation across mediums generates new artistic forms, with current work focusing on virtual reality applications for radio drama adaptation. Analysis of her 2018-2024 outputs reveals consistent exploration of literary adaptation (particularly Dylan Thomas and Tennyson), immersive storytelling through emerging technologies, and the materiality of performance spaces. Her collaborations with technologists like P. Woycicki demonstrate how digital tools expand traditional narrative boundaries while maintaining theatrical essence. Key recognitions include: Creative Wales Award from Arts Council of Wales (2010-2012) Shortlisting for John Whiting Award (1994) Shortlisting for BBC Wales Author of the Year (1994) Gough actively shapes emerging talent as external examiner for PhD practice-as-research programs and new BA Scriptwriting degrees, while her industry impact is evident through writing workshops for BBC, Birmingham Rep, Stagecoach, and contributions to BBC Radio Cymru arts programming. Major grants include the Arts Council of Wales Creative Wales Award supporting her 'Beyond Words' research program. Her current collaborative laboratory with P. Woycicki pioneers VR integration in performance, notably through the 'Mapping the Soul VR' project that transforms radio plays into immersive gallery experiences, demonstrating how video game technology can revolutionize audio storytelling while preserving its intimate qualities.

• Adaptation across media
• Playwriting
• Radio drama
• +3 more

Dr. Mike Starr is an Associate Professor in Film & Screen Studies at the University of Northampton, affiliated with the Culture department and the Centre for Cultural and Literary Studies. He teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Film, Screen, and Contemporary Literature, and actively supervises PhD students in English and Creative Writing. His academic background includes a doctoral thesis titled Untimely mutations: deterritorializing H.G. Wells's scientific romances (2011), reflecting his deep engagement with literary and philosophical dimensions of science fiction. PhD in Film or Literary Studies (implied by thesis and position) Dr. Starr's research centers on philosophical interpretations of science fiction across cinema, television, and literature, with a particular focus on Deleuzean theory, Joss Whedon’s works, time travel narratives, and eco-criticism. His scholarship explores the intersections of narrative, identity, and cultural theory in cult media and transmedia storytelling. His recent publications include the book Wells Meets Deleuze: The Scientific Romances Reconsidered (2017) and co-editing Re-Entering the Dollhouse (2022), alongside numerous peer-reviewed articles on topics such as The Cabin in the Woods , the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and vampire television. The body of work demonstrates a consistent trajectory in analyzing science fiction through continental philosophy, especially the ideas of Gilles Deleuze. Dr. Starr is an active member of several academic organizations, including the American Popular Culture Association (APCA), the Science Fiction and Fantasy SIG of BAFTSS, and the Association for the Study of Buffy+. He has organized multiple conferences such as the Slayage Conference and TV Fangdom, and contributed to public scholarship through exhibitions and media commentary on Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. He supervises PhD students including Bochra Benaissa (on the Robinsonade) and Cavan McLaughlin (on mythmaking in screenwriting). While no formal grants are listed, his sustained research output and academic leadership suggest active project involvement. He is also a peer reviewer and editorial board member for relevant journals. Dr. Starr’s work bridges academic rigor with popular media engagement, positioning him as a key figure in contemporary fan and science fiction studies.

• Film Studies
• Screen Studies
• Science Fiction
• +10 more

Frazer Lee is a Reader in Creative Writing at Brunel University, serving as Programme Lead for Postgraduate Creative Writing within the Department of English and Creative Writing in the College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences. Holding a PhD and recognized as FHEA (Fellow of the Higher Education Academy), he bridges academic scholarship with professional creative practice. Lee's research interests center on horror fiction, particularly Gothic and folk horror traditions, with strong connections to British literary and cinematic traditions. His work explores the intersections of supernatural elements with psychological depth, often drawing from British landscapes and cultural traditions. He demonstrates particular expertise in adaptation studies, especially regarding media franchises like Doctor Who and Blake's 7, examining how horror narratives translate across different media forms. His recent publications show a consistent trajectory in horror fiction, with increasing emphasis on folk horror elements and British Gothic traditions. The works span novels, short story collections, media tie-ins, and even board game design, demonstrating his multidisciplinary approach to horror storytelling. Edgar Allan Poe Gothic Filmmaker Award for his film 'The Stay' Bram Stoker Award Finalist for debut novel 'The Lamplighters' Multiple film festival awards for 'The Stay', including its 33rd award at Reale Film Festival Italy in April 2025 Juror for the Bram Stoker Awards for four consecutive years As Programme Lead for Postgraduate Creative Writing, Lee mentors emerging writers, particularly in horror and speculative fiction. His industry connections provide students with pathways into publishing and film. Though specific grant information isn't detailed in the text, his active film and publishing projects suggest ongoing creative development work. Lee's 'The Stay' continues its successful film festival run, and he has multiple creative writing and film projects optioned or in development, including the feature film screenplay 'Knock Three Times'.

• Creative Writing
• Horror Fiction
• Screenwriting
• +5 more

Teresa Forde is a Senior Lecturer in Media Studies at the University of Derby's College of Arts, Humanities and Education. Her research spans media studies, film analysis, cultural criticism, and feminist curation, with emphasis on television drama, science fiction, and surrealist art recovery. She has extensively explored narrative structures in popular culture and contributed to feminist art historiography through her work on overlooked artist Marion Adnams. Her scholarly interests include cinematic representations of urban spaces, institutional critique in media, and the intersection of gender with artistic expression. Forde's publications demonstrate consistent focus on cultural memory, identity politics, and media reception across diverse formats including books, journal articles, and conference proceedings. Frequently collaborating on edited collections and exhibitions, she employs interdisciplinary approaches to investigate how visual media shape social perceptions and historical understanding.

• Media Studies
• Film Analysis
• Television Drama
• +4 more

Russell Schechter is a Senior Lecturer and Course Lead for the BA Creative & Professional Writing and MA Creative Writing programs at St Mary's University. He holds a BS and Master’s from Cornell University and a PhD in Communication from the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on creative writing pedagogy, genre fiction (crime, horror, fantasy, sci-fi), film/media studies, and cultural analysis. As 'Jay Russell,' he has authored eight books and numerous short stories across speculative genres. His academic work explores intersections between popular culture and sociological themes, including postmodernism, media impact on arts accessibility, and narrative forms in TV and literature. Key contributions include analyses of genre evolution and critical studies of cultural symbolism in fiction. His publications span literary criticism, media theory, and creative works, reflecting a dual commitment to scholarly inquiry and creative expression. Notable works include Iron cage aesthetics (1992) examining postmodern culture and Real Estates, Fantasy Islands (1986) analyzing sitcoms as cultural mirrors.

• Creative Writing
• Genre Fiction (Horror, Crime, Fantasy, Sci-Fi)
• Film Studies
• +3 more

Keith McDonald is an Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Film Studies and Media at York St John University's School of Humanities. He holds a PhD from Birkbeck College, University of London and serves as a Postgraduate Research Supervisor. His academic profile demonstrates extensive expertise in film studies, media analysis, and pedagogical approaches to teaching visual media. McDonald's research interests span Gothic and Horror Film studies, Transnational Media perspectives, Film Stardom, and collective memory in popular culture. His scholarly work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications in media education. He has developed significant expertise in textual analysis methodologies for film and television studies. His recent publications show a consistent trajectory of scholarly output with his most recent book "The Spectral West: Supernature and the Gothic" (2025) indicating active current research. His publications span diverse areas within film studies, from director analyses (Guillermo del Toro) to genre studies (Gothic and Horror film) and pedagogical approaches to media education. McDonald has presented at numerous academic conferences including events at Leeds University, Northumbria University, and Glasgow University, focusing on topics ranging from comic books and reader response theory to Web 2.0 platforms for student engagement and gender representation in film and television. As an educator, he teaches across multiple programs including Film Studies BA, Media and Communications BA, and Screen Studies MA, demonstrating his commitment to developing students' critical engagement with media texts and contemporary visual culture.

• Film Studies
• Media
• Gothic and Horror Film
• +4 more

Professor Robert Edgar serves as Professor of Writing and Popular Culture at York St John University, based in the York Centre for Writing within the School of Humanities. He holds significant leadership roles as School of Humanities Postgraduate Research Lead, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor. His academic career spans teaching across creative writing, literature, media studies, and film production programs. Edgar's research expertise centers on scriptwriting, adaptation, music memoir, and genre fiction, with particular specialization in folk horror, hauntology, music venues, arena concerts, and music documentary. His scholarly work explores the intersections between popular culture, memory, narrative forms, and British cultural identity. He leads the Hauntology and Spectrality Research Group and co-leads the Music, Memory and Narrative Research Group, fostering collaborative research through publications, conferences, and workshops. His recent publications reveal a strong interdisciplinary focus bridging literary studies, cultural theory, and creative practice. Significant contributions include 'The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror' (2023), 'Venue Stories' (2023), and 'Horrifying Children: Hauntology and the Legacy of Children's Television' (2024). These works demonstrate his commitment to exploring niche cultural phenomena through academic rigor and creative engagement. As an active PhD supervisor, Edgar mentors students in literature, cinema, prose fiction, scriptwriting, and adaptation, with current projects covering folk horror, spectrality, weird fiction, music memoir, and historical fiction. He has served as an external examiner at multiple universities including Leeds, Leicester, Salford, and Leeds Beckett, contributing significantly to academic quality assurance. Edgar's leadership extends to founding and developing research networks that have produced notable publications and events. His work with the Hauntology and Spectrality Research Group has resulted in edited collections, conferences, and collaborations with external partners including museums. His contributions to the academic community through peer review, conference organization, and media engagement demonstrate his commitment to public scholarship.

• scriptwriting
• adaptation
• music memoir
• +7 more

Mark Jones is a Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Wolverhampton, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts, Business, and Social Sciences and the Department of Humanities. His work bridges literature, film, and cultural studies, with a focus on 20th/21st-century popular culture. DPhil (University of Sussex, 1996) MA in Twentieth Century English Literature (University of Sussex, 1989) PGCE in Further/Adult/Higher Education (University of Wolverhampton, 1993) His research spans Popular Culture, Genre Fiction and Film, Science Fiction, Fantasy, True Crime, and British-American Media Studies . Publications analyze intersections between historical events and media representations, such as the Manson Family’s cinematic legacy, Lovecraftian horror, and mirror universe narratives in Doctor Who and Star Trek. His teaching includes course leadership for MA Popular Culture, with modules on science fiction/fantasy, true crime, and post-WWII literature. The 15 most recent articles reflect consistent engagement with 60s-70s counterculture , genre hybridization , and taboo topics in media . Themes include violence, sexuality, and cultural memory, with methodological links to historical revisionism and intertextuality. Professional activities include event administration for the 'Heavy Metal and Place' conference (2011) and research supervision for projects like 'Constructions of Adolescent Femininity within Urban Fantasy Narratives' (2017).

• Popular Culture
• Genre Fiction and Film
• Science Fiction
• +4 more

Riziki Millanzi is a Doctoral Tutor in Media and Film at the University of Sussex's School of Media, Arts and Humanities, where she also serves as a Research Associate in the Sussex Centre for American Studies. She completed her PhD at Sussex in 2024 with a dissertation titled Empowerment, Protest and Celebration: The representation of ‘Black Girl Magic’ in Speculative Fiction and Contemporary Culture , building on her MA in English Literature from the same institution. Her research examines Black speculative fiction and popular culture through intersectional frameworks, with expertise in: Black feminist interpretations of comics, film, and literature Afrofuturist and Africanfuturist narratives Representations of Black womanhood in horror and sci-fi genres Digital communities around "Black Girl Magic" movements Her publications demonstrate consistent focus on decolonizing speculative genres, with recurring analysis of identity formation, resistance tropes, and cultural reclamation in comics (DC/Marvel), films ( Snowpiercer ), and literature (Octavia Butler, Nnedi Okorafor). Recent work explores pandemic-era narratives and virtual reality's role in Black identity construction. Award highlights include: BAAS Postgraduate Essay Award for Students of Colour (2022) Adam Weiler Doctoral Impact Awards Runner-Up (2022) SWPACA Graduate Student Award (2021) Thomas W. Wilkins Research Fellowship (2022) As a Doctoral Tutor, she has taught undergraduate courses including Analysing Film and Exploring Film Studies . She maintains professional memberships in the British Association for American Studies and British Science Fiction Association.

• Black Speculative Fiction
• Black Feminism
• Black Horror
• +4 more

Tajinder Hayer is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), based in the English and Creative Writing department. His research focuses on writing for stage, radio, film, and television, with a particular emphasis on British Asian subject matter and genres like Science Fiction (SFF/Fantastika), fantasy, and horror, especially post-apocalyptic narratives and adaptation studies. He actively supervises Creative Writing PhD students specializing in scriptwriting for film, TV, radio, or theatre, and collaborates with colleagues within and beyond his department. Key research projects include the North West Black Asian Minority Ethnic and Refugee Playwrights Development Scheme (2018, funded by Arts Council England) and Countermapping Urban Palestine (2024). He contributed to the Graphic Futures project (2017-2018), exploring graphic novels as tools for envisioning social futures. His creative works include the Papatango Prize-winning play Ghost Stories from an Old Country (2021), showcased at Leeds Playhouse. Awards: Recipient of the 2021 Papatango New Writing Prize. Grants & Projects: Principal Investigator on multiple research initiatives addressing cultural narratives and creative adaptation. As part of interdisciplinary research groups like Gothic and Science Fiction and Transcultural Writing , Hayer bridges creative practice with academic inquiry, emphasizing ethnicity, identity, and innovative storytelling techniques. His work often intersects with audiovisual media, as seen in performances like The Frequency (2022) and The Cyclops (2023).

• Creative Writing
• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• +4 more