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.
The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of LondonUnited Kingdom
Sarah Wilson is Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London. She has been a faculty member since 1982 and has held leadership roles including Head of the Modern and Contemporary Section (2005-2008) and Head of Diploma programmes (2014-2015). She is internationally recognized as the English-language expert on Post-War European art and has held visiting positions at Paris-IV Sorbonne and the University of Versailles-Saint Quentin. Wilson was educated at the University of Oxford (BA English Literature) and at the Courtauld Institute of Art (MA and PhD). She was awarded the title Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1997 for services to French art and culture, and received the International Association of Art Critics' Award for Distinguished Contribution to Art Criticism in 2015. She has held visiting professorships at Paris-IV Sorbonne (2002-2004), École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (2006-2007), and University of Versailles-Saint Quentin (2012-2013). Sarah Wilson's research spans post-war and Cold War European art, contemporary global art practices, and the intersections between conceptual art, political theory, and visual culture. Her work extends from European avant-gardes to contemporary art across the former Soviet Union and Asia. She is particularly known for her expertise in French Stalinism, neo-Marxism and the arts, and conceptual art practices beyond the 'first world.' Wilson has initiated important academic programs such as the 'Global Conceptualism' MA course with Boris Groys, which connects Anglo-American conceptual art with practices from Moscow and beyond. She has also expanded her research to include modern and contemporary Asian art since 2013. Her extensive publication record shows a consistent focus on European art history with increasing engagement with global perspectives, particularly Asian contemporary art since 2013. Wilson's scholarship bridges art historical analysis with philosophical inquiry, especially regarding French theory and its visual manifestations. Her major publications include 'Paris, Capital of the Arts, 1900-1968' (2002) and 'The Visual World of French Theory: Figurations' (2010), with a second volume 'The Visual World of French Theory II: Interventions' in preparation. Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (1997) International Association of Art Critics' Award for Distinguished Contribution to Art Criticism (2015) Marie Curie Actions – RBUCE-UP, Chaire d'excellence, Université de Versailles-Saint Quentin (2012-2013) Professor Wilson has supervised 36 PhD students to completion and over 230 MA dissertations, creating what she describes as 'a unique English-language archive in the field of post-1945 European and global art history.' Her former students now hold prominent positions in major institutions worldwide including Tate, the British Museum, Design Museum, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, British Council, Centre Georges Pompidou, Kunsthalle Bremen, and universities across Europe and North America. She has received significant research funding including a Marie Curie Actions grant for her project 'Globalisation before globalisation: avant-gardes, academies, revolutions.' Wilson is actively involved with the Courtauld alumni's former East Wing Collection (now VS1, Vernon Square) and has contributed to the Research Forum's programmes. She has curated numerous exhibitions including the 'Global Conceptualism'-related projects and served on the curatorial team of the 1st Asian Biennale (China-Guangzhou) in 2014. Her commitment to women artists has led to early exhibitions of artists like Zofia Kulik and Alina Szapocznikow before their international prominence. She is involved with CCRAC (Cambridge-Courtauld Russian Art Centre), Calvert 22, and Pushkin House in London, reaching out to Russia and Eastern Europe.
Stephen M. Hart is a Professor of Latin American Film, Literature and Culture at University College London (UCL), affiliated with the School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS) and the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies. He is a General Editor at Tamesis Publishers and founder-director of the Centre of César Vallejo Studies at UCL. Education: BA (1980), MA (1984), PhD (1985) from University of Cambridge Academic Career: Lecturer at Westfield College (1984-1990), Associate/Full Professor at University of Kentucky (1991-1998), Senior Lecturer/Reader at UCL (1998-present) Specializing in Latin American literature, film, and culture, Hart has published extensively on César Vallejo and Santa Rosa de Lima, including critical editions of their works. His research spans literary theory, art history, and East-West relations, with a focus on documentary film-making and magical realism as a framework for understanding post-truth narratives. Recent publications address colonial sainthood processes, poetic modernism, and China-Latin America connections. He has directed documentary projects in Cuba since 2006 and received honors including the Order of Merit from the Peruvian Government and Honorary Doctorates from Peruvian institutions. Key Awards: Order of Merit for Distinguished Services (Peruvian Government, 2004), Honorary Doctorate (San Marcos University, 2004), Corresponding Member of Academia Peruana de la Lengua (2014) Leadership Roles: Director of UCL's ESRC DTC (2014), Director of Documentary Film-Making Summer School (Cuba, 2006-present) Teaching: Undergraduate courses on Latin American supernaturalism and cultural dilemmas; MA documentary film-making courses
Dr. Rebecca Wynne-Walsh is a Lecturer in Film, English & Creative Arts, actively accepting PhD students since 2022. Her research focuses on horror cinema, regional identity, auteur theory, and trauma studies, with notable contributions to Basque, Gothic, and African film analyses. She is affiliated with the Television Studies Research Group, ESAL (Spanish & Latin American Studies), and the Emergent Media & Entertainment Research Group. Her work explores intersections of cultural memory, transgression, and decolonial frameworks, as seen in studies of Steve McQueen’s Hunger and post-Franco Gothic fiction. Recent presentations include an oral talk on interactive horror narratives at a 2024 conference. Despite her prolific output, she has not been explicitly linked to awards or grants in the provided texts.
Prof María Noriega-Sánchez is Professor of Spanish and Translation Studies at the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, and a Fellow and Director of Studies in Modern and Medieval Languages at Sidney Sussex College. She has been teaching at Cambridge since 2008, specializing in Spanish language instruction from ab initio to advanced levels, translation studies, and contemporary Hispanic culture. Her research centers on innovative approaches to language pedagogy, particularly the role of translation as the 'fifth skill' in language acquisition. Prof Noriega-Sánchez has pioneered methods that integrate translation into language learning processes, challenging traditional approaches that often exclude translation from foreign language teaching. Her work explores how new technologies can enhance collaborative learning environments and develop effective language teaching materials. Prof Noriega-Sánchez's scholarly output reveals significant trends in translation pedagogy and multimodal communication. Her publications demonstrate a consistent exploration of how translation functions as both a teaching methodology and cognitive process in language acquisition. She has been instrumental in establishing translation as an essential component of language learning, bridging theoretical insights with practical classroom applications. Highly Commended in the Innovative Teaching category of the Cambridge SU Student-Led Teaching Awards (May 2023) As Director of Studies at Sidney Sussex College since 2009 and former Undergraduate Tutor (2015-2020), Prof Noriega-Sánchez has guided numerous students through their academic journeys. She has developed innovative Spanish language curricula at Cambridge, created interactive teaching materials for the Open University, and contributed to the 'Spanish at Your Fingertips' project developed by the University of Cambridge Language Centre in partnership with BBC Worldwide. Prof Noriega-Sánchez co-founded the Cambridge Conversations in Translation research group at CRASSH (2015-2018) and serves as Co-Convener of the Cambridge Translation Studies Network. Her collaborative work with Ángeles Carreres and other scholars has significantly influenced translation pedagogy both nationally and internationally, establishing her as a leading voice in the field of language education and translation studies.
María del Pilar Blanco is a Professor of Spanish American and Comparative Literature at the University of Oxford, where she is also a Fellow and Tutor at Trinity College and Associate Lecturer at Worcester College. Her research intersects Spanish American literature with comparative frameworks, focusing on literature and science, spectrality, landscape, and transnational literary exchanges. Research explores popular science writing in late 19th-early 20th century Spanish American periodicals Current book project: Modernist Laboratories: Science and the Poetics of Progress in Fin-de-Siècle Spanish America (Oxford University Press) Supervision interests: literature/science intersections, spectrality, comparative projects on hemispheric American literature Key awards include the British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship (2017-18) and the Ray and Pat Browne Award (2010). Her publications span spectral theory, modernist studies, Latinx literature, and scientific modernity in Latin America.
Professor Robert Vilain is Senior Tutor at St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford, and Lecturer in German at Christ Church. Previously, he held the position of Professor of German and Comparative Literature at the University of Bristol (2010–2023) and served as Director of the South, West & Wales Doctoral Training Partnership (2020–2023). He was Warden of Wills Hall (2015–2018), overseeing welfare and pastoral care. Vilain earned his DPhil in comparative literature from Christ Church, where he also studied French and German as an undergraduate in the 1980s. His research focuses on comparative literature, modernist poetry, and the avant-garde, with a particular emphasis on Rainer Maria Rilke, Yvan Goll, and Hugo von Hofmannsthal. His work bridges German, French, and Austrian cultural contexts, exploring themes like spirituality, exile, and interdisciplinary art forms. Education: Bachelor of Arts (French and German), Christ Church, Oxford Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Comparative Literature, Christ Church, Oxford Research Interests: Vilain’s studies delve into modernist lyricism, the avant-garde’s interplay with visual and musical arts, and the reception of German and French literary figures in transnational contexts. He is renowned for his analyses of Rilke’s spiritual and existential themes, as well as his examinations of Yvan Goll’s exile writings and Hofmannsthal’s engagement with 20th-century political history. Publications: His scholarly works include edited volumes on Austrian cultural identity, translations of Rilke’s texts, and critical studies on figures like Hermann Bahr and Georg Trakl. His recent articles explore Rilke’s engagement with Venice, Beethoven, and Rome, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach. Labs/Teams: As Senior Tutor, Vilain oversees academic and pastoral affairs at St Hugh’s, fostering an inclusive intellectual environment. He collaborates with institutions like the South, West & Wales DTP to support doctoral training in the humanities.
Dr Rory O'Bryen is an Associate Professor of Latin American Literature and Culture at the Spanish & Portuguese Department of the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, University of Cambridge. He teaches courses on Latin American cultural studies and literature, with a focus on Colombian history and modern cultural narratives. Department: Spanish & Portuguese College affiliation: King's College Editorial role: One of the editors of the Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies His research interests include: Modern Latin American culture Nineteenth- and twentieth-century Colombian literature Political violence and memory Transnational cultural studies Environmental humanities in Latin America Representation of national identity Dr O'Bryen's publication history reveals strong trends in: Colombian cultural analysis River studies (particularly the Magdalena River) Postconflict narratives Ecological and infrastructural themes Intercultural literary theory Visual culture and political conflict As an academic supervisor, he has guided doctoral research on diverse topics including: Literature and film of the Cuban Revolution Prison writing in Latin America Latin American literary engagements with Nazism Ecological themes in Latin American art Post-1960s Latin American errancy writing Contemporary Latin American horrorism narratives
Dr. Tiffany Fairey is a Senior Research Fellow and visual sociologist at King's College London's Department of War Studies, where she specializes in participatory research and visual peacebuilding. With over two decades of experience, she previously co-founded the award-winning charity PhotoVoice and holds affiliations with the Visual Embodied Methodologies Network and Everyday Peace Indicators. Her research focuses on arts-based peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and ethical dimensions of visual methodologies. Current projects include the Leverhulme-funded Imaging Peace study examining photography's role in peacebuilding across multiple countries, and ESRC-funded work on intersectional gendered violence. Fairey's publications consistently explore participatory visual methods and peace photography, with recent work emphasizing community-centered approaches to reconciliation and strategic narrative development in post-conflict settings. Her 2025 monograph Imaging Peace represents a culmination of her multi-country empirical research. Her contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards including the Royal Photographic Society's Hood Medal and the SSPP Impact Prize. She actively consults on photovoice methodology and serves on advisory boards for organizations including the Post-Conflict Research Centre and Inclusive Rigour Co-Lab.
Dr. David Miranda-Barreiro is a Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies at Bangor University’s School of Language, Culture and the Arts. He serves as Undergraduate Course Director and Head of Hispanic Studies, teaching modules in Spanish language, literature, and cinema. His academic journey began with a BA in Hispanic Studies from the University of A Coruña, followed by an MA and PhD at Bangor University, where his thesis Spanish New York Narratives 1898–1936 won the 2012 AHGBI Publication Prize. Research Interests: Mobility (travel writing, migration, exile), Galician-US cultural connections, comics/graphic novels, national/transnational identities. Key Publications: Monograph on Spanish New York narratives (2014), co-editor of Galicia 21 journal, and articles on Galician migration, comics, and exile literature. Awards: AHGBI-Spanish Embassy Postgraduate Prize (2012), Santander Mobility Grant (2009-2010). Co-organizer of conferences on diaspora, comics, and Iberian mobility. Supervision: First supervisor for PhD projects on migrant literature, Galician diaspora, and transnational identities; second supervisor for completed theses on feminist TV series, translation, and women-authored narratives.
Liz Harvey-Kattou is a Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Westminster's School of Humanities. She teaches Spanish language, 20th-21st century culture in Spain and Latin America, film studies, and visual culture, while supervising undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations. Research focuses on gender and family dynamics in contemporary Central American cinema Previous work analyzed identity and nationhood in Costa Rican literature and film Active in film festival curation and cultural commentary Her research keywords include: Gender subversion in Central American cinema Decolonial representation Identity politics Postcolonial theory Feminist film analysis Costa Rican cultural studies Scientific contributions include: Peer reviewing for Forum for Modern Language Studies Peer reviewing for Studies in Spanish and Latin American Cinemas Editorial work for National Identities and Hispanic Research Journal As an AHRC Doctoral Studentship awardee and recipient of the AHRC Award for Outstanding Journal Reviewer, she maintains active engagement with academic communities through memberships in the Association of Hispanists, Society of Latin American Studies, and Women in Spanish and Portuguese Studies.
Professor Catherine Boyle is a distinguished academic in Latin American Cultural Studies at King's College London, holding the position of Professor of Latin American Cultural Studies and Head of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures since 2022. She earned her PhD in Latin American Studies from the University of Liverpool (1986) and has held academic roles at Strathclyde and King's since 1990. Her research focuses on cultural expressions in socio-historic contexts, particularly Chilean theatre, translation studies, and performance. Boyle is the Principal Investigator of the Out of the Wings project (since 2008), exploring theatre translation and performance. She directs the Centre for Language Acts and Worldmaking under the Global Cultures Institute, emphasizing multilingualism and cultural competency. Boyle has published extensively on topics like pandemic narratives, cultural transmission, and feminist translation. Awards include the Supervisory Excellence Award (2008) and Excellence in Innovation & Impact (2012). Her work bridges academic and creative realms, collaborating with institutions like the Royal Shakespeare Company and leading initiatives such as the Worldmaking in the Time of Covid-19 project. Education: Bachelor of Arts in Modern Foreign Languages, University of Strathclyde (1982) MA and PhD in Latin American Studies, University of Liverpool (1983–1986) Research interests include Chilean theatre under dictatorship, translation methodologies, gender studies, and multilingualism. She supervises doctoral students on topics such as Latin American theatre translation and cultural history. Boyle’s recent work explores pandemic narratives and the role of language in shaping global perspectives. Publications include Multilingual Narratives of a Pandemic: Covid 19 and Worldmaking (2023) and Language Acts and Worldmaking (2022). She leads grants like the AHRC-funded Language Acts and Worldmaking initiative. Boyle is active in public engagement through festivals like the Being Human Festival and collaborates on cultural competency modules. Awards: Excellence in Innovation & Impact Award (2012) Supervisory Excellence Award (2008) Her academic leadership includes roles as Department Head and President of the Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland (2020–2024). Boyle’s work emphasizes the intersection of cultural transmission, performance, and multilingual advocacy.
Dr. Yari Perez Marin is an Associate Professor in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University. She holds affiliations with the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies and the Institute for Medical Humanities. Her research focuses on contemporary Latin American cinema and 16th-17th century Hispanic literature, particularly the history of science in transatlantic contexts. She teaches undergraduate modules on colonial gender studies, race in cinema, and postgraduate courses in translation and cultural studies. Her work is supported by grants from the Mellon Foundation and Social Science Research Council. She contributes to Durham's Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art, delivering lectures on colonial medical history and Latin American cultural representation. Education: BA in Romance Languages and Literatures (Harvard), MA and PhD in Hispanic Studies (Brown University). Teaching responsibilities include convening final-year modules on colonial Latin America and co-teaching race/gender in cinema. She supervises three PhD students researching colonial and contemporary cultural topics. Recorded talks include discussions of her book Marvels of Medicine and presentations on colonial medical literature at ARTES and Complutense University of Madrid.
Dr. Olivia Vázquez-Medina is an Associate Professor in Spanish at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, and a Fellow of Wadham College. She holds a DPhil from Oxford and previously taught at Royal Holloway. Her research focuses on modern and contemporary Spanish American fiction, particularly examining how women writers address environmental, gender, and social issues through innovative narrative forms. She explores concepts like 'disquietude' in works by authors such as Cristina Rivera Garza and Samanta Schweblin, emphasizing intersections of aesthetics, gender, and politics. Her academic background includes a Licenciatura from Universidad Veracruzana (Mexico), an MSt, and DPhil from Oxford. She teaches undergraduate Spanish language and literature courses at Wadham and St Hugh’s colleges, as well as graduate supervision in topics like 'The Body in Spanish American Fiction.' Her monograph Cuerpo, historia y textualidad (2013) analyzes historical novels by Roa Bastos, del Paso, and García Márquez, while recent work addresses eco-critical and gendered themes in contemporary narratives. Dr. Vázquez-Medina’s research themes include ecocriticism, environmental humanities, gender studies, and global south literature. She has received the LS Dembo Prize for her 2022 article analyzing Samanta Schweblin’s Fever Dream . Her work bridges literary analysis with critical theory, offering fresh perspectives on how literature engages with societal crises and epistemological challenges.
Maria Sanchez-Ortiz is a Senior Lecturer in Translation and Interpreting Studies at the School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture (LLMVC), University of Aberdeen, where she has been actively contributing since 2016. She serves as Programme Director for both the on-campus and distance learning MSc in Translation Studies and co-directs the Centre for Multilingual Research. She previously directed the Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies from 2020 to 2023 and coordinated the undergraduate programme in Modern Languages and Translation from 2017 to 2020. Her educational background is extensive and interdisciplinary: PhD in Translation Studies, University of Bradford (2006) MSc in Dubbing, Subtitling & Localization, Instituto Superior de Estudios Lingüísticos y Traducción, Spain (2019) Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, University of Salford (2015) Diploma in Audiovisual Translation, Universidad de Educación a Distancia, Spain (2014) Diploma in Public Service Interpreting, CIoL (2007) MA in European Studies, University of Bradford (1994) Diploma in Spanish with Translation and Interpreting, CIoL (1992) BA in English Language and Literature, University of Granada, Spain (1989) Maria's research focuses on Translation and Interpreting Studies, with particular emphasis on literary translation, audiovisual translation, translator training, sociolinguistics, dialect translation, and the impact of AI on translation professions. She has supervised multiple PhD students to completion and actively welcomes new doctoral candidates in Spanish and Latin American Studies. Her work consistently bridges theory and practice, with a strong pedagogical orientation. Her 15 most recent publications span from 1996 to 2024, reflecting a sustained engagement with core issues in translation. The articles reveal a deep interest in the pragmatics, ethics, and cultural dimensions of translation, particularly in literary and dialectal contexts. A recurring theme is the translator's agency and the challenges of preserving stylistic and sociolinguistic nuances. More recently, her work has addressed gender, multiculturalism, and the evolving role of technology in translation. She has received numerous teaching accolades, including: Awarded 'Best Undergraduate Lecturer', University of Aberdeen (2024–2025) Awarded 'Funniest Lecturer', University of Aberdeen (2023–2024) Awarded 'Best Taught Postgraduate Lecturer', University of Aberdeen (2018–2019) Nominated for 'The Most Inspiring Lecturer' (2019–2020) and Excellence in Teaching awards Maria Sanchez-Ortiz is an active supervisor, mentor, and curriculum developer. She has served as an external examiner for MA and BA programmes at several UK universities, including Manchester, Open University, Portsmouth, Durham, and Bath. She is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (since 2015) and a member of key professional bodies such as the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and the International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies. She also contributes to academic journals as a member of editorial and advisory boards. She leads and co-directs major research centres at Aberdeen, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in multilingual research. Her leadership in the European Graduate Placement Scheme and membership in the PACTE Research Group highlight her commitment to international cooperation and empirical research in translation competence.
