Find Academic Supervisors

Professor Brian Dillon is the Professor of Creative Writing and Director of Creative Writing at Queen Mary University of London's School of English and Drama. Previously, he served as Head of the Writing Programme at the Royal College of Art. He holds a PhD from the University of Kent (1999) and has authored numerous books blending creative nonfiction, literary criticism, and art analysis. His research focuses on the essay form, autobiography, literature-visual arts intersections, and writing about illness. Key publications include *Suppose a Sentence* (2020), an experimental essay collection analyzing literary sentences, and *Affinities* (2023), exploring photographic imagery. Current projects include a study of Kate Bush's *Hounds of Love* and an essay on education. Dillon frequently contributes to *The Guardian*, *London Review of Books*, and *Artforum*, and has curated exhibitions for Tate and Hayward Galleries. His awards and fellowships are not explicitly listed here, but his work has been widely exhibited and published internationally. He supervises doctoral students in creative writing and related fields, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to literature and art. Public engagement includes talks at institutions like the British Museum and Pompidou Centre, and appearances on BBC Radio 3 and RTE Radio. His work bridges academic critique with accessible creative writing, making complex themes engaging for broader audiences.

• Creative nonfiction
• Essay form and history
• Autobiography/memoir
• +3 more

Dr. Catherine Wynne is a Reader in Victorian and Early Twentieth-Century Literature and Visual Cultures at the University of Hull, where she also serves as Associate Dean for Research and Enterprise in the Faculty of Arts, Cultures and Education. She teaches undergraduates and supervises PhD students, with a focus on literature and creative writing. B.A., English and French, University of Galway M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University College Dublin D.Phil., University of Oxford (on Bram Stoker, Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Colonial Gothic) Her research spans Victorian and early 20th-century literature and visual cultures, with a focus on the Gothic, war art and memoir, Victorian theatre, travel writing, colonialism, and contemporary adaptations. She has published monographs on Bram Stoker, Conan Doyle, and Lady Butler, a biography of the Victorian war artist. Her work intersects with cultural studies, material culture, and pandemic narratives, particularly through the University of Hull's Living with Death – Learning from COVID research cluster. Recent projects include editing new editions of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Oxford University Press, 2025) and co-editing works on The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Valley of Fear for Edinburgh University Press. She contributes to public discourse as co-host of the Pandemic Pages podcast and through media engagements with the BBC, Channel 4, CBC, and Deutsche Welle. Scientific Awards Fellowship from the English Association (2023) Her research has been funded by the British Academy, the Marc Fitch Fund, the Society for Theatre Research, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She organized the Bram Stoker Centenary Conference (2012), contributes to the Barbara Canham Turner Lecture series, and collaborates with local charities on cultural heritage access for children with SEND.

• Victorian Literature
• Gothic Literature
• War Art and Memoir
• +10 more

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.

• Creative Writing
• Poetry
• Literary Criticism
• +3 more

Joanne Lee is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Italian Studies at the University of Warwick. She holds a PhD from the University of Bristol and has taught at Cardiff University and Bristol University prior to joining Warwick in 2008. Her administrative roles include Head of Italian Studies until September 2024 and Co-head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (SMLC) starting January 2025. BA in Italian and Language Studies (Cardiff University, 1999) MA in Literature in European Cultures (Cardiff University, 2003) PhD (University of Bristol, 2008) Her research spans travel writing , Italian emigration/immigration , post-war women writers , and Italy's colonial memory . Recent work examines decolonizing urban spaces through Igiaba Scego's works and sustainable travel in Paolo Rumiz's pedestrian journeys. She explores ethical dimensions of travel writing, including sustainability and cosmopolitan ethics, with a focus on globalization's impact on migration narratives. Selected publications include analyses of Laura Pariani's migration novels, Soviet-Italian Cold War travel discourses, and postcolonial memory in Italian literature. She has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects addressing slow travel , virtual tourism , and post-pandemic tourism patterns. Awards include Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and Fellowship of the Warwick International Higher Education Academy.

• Travel Writing
• Migration Studies
• Postcolonial Studies
• +5 more

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 .

• German Literature
• Holocaust Studies
• Queer Studies
• +7 more

Isobel Hurst is a Lecturer in the Department of English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her research specializes in Classical Reception Studies, focusing on the interplay between Greek and Roman literature and 19th-century women's writing. Academic qualifications: D.Phil. (2003), M.Phil. in English Studies (2000), BA in Classics and English (1995) - all from the University of Oxford Her research explores how women writers like Elizabeth Barrett Browning and George Eliot creatively engaged with classical texts to challenge gender norms and societal constraints, particularly through reworkings of Homeric and Virgilian themes. She examines intersections between domesticity and epic traditions, feminist reinterpretations of mythology, and the role of classical education in women's authorship. Recent publications analyze Louise Glück's mythic poetry, Victorian epic traditions, and transatlantic classical dialogues. She supervises PhD students working on topics including Sapphic poetics, prophetic figures in literature, and epic subversions in contemporary forms. Isobel contributes to academic discourse through her involvement with the Decadence Research Centre and Centre for Comparative Literature, bridging classical traditions with modern literary innovations through both teaching and research.

• Classical Reception Studies
• Victorian Literature
• Women's Writing
• +3 more

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

• British literature
• Cultural history
• Working-class studies
• +6 more

Rebecca Anne Barr is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of English, University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Jesus College. Her research intersects gender, sexuality, and the eighteenth-century novel with interdisciplinary links to medical humanities and reproductive justice. She has led projects like the 2019 Irish Research Foundation Creative Connections Award on fertility politics and serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Medical Humanities . Research Interests: Eighteenth-century literature, gender studies, medical humanities, reproductive justice, and interdisciplinary analysis of satire and language. Key Projects: Crausaz Wordsworth Interdisciplinary Fellowship (2022-23), upcoming Keough-Naughton Library Research Award (2024) for Jonathan Swift studies. Publications: Authored and co-edited works on women's writing, Irish masculinity, and the cultural politics of reproduction. Her forthcoming monograph Killjoy Comedy (2025) explores humor in 1750s fiction. Notable Awards: 2019 Irish Research Foundation Creative Connections Award 2023 Crausaz Wordsworth Interdisciplinary Fellowship 2024 Keough-Naughton Library Research Award Teaching and Leadership: Convened the Cambridge MPhil in Eighteenth-Century and Romantic Studies (2020-22) and chaired the Faculty's EDI committee (2021-2023). She welcomes graduate research proposals in her core areas.

• Eighteenth-Century Literature
• Gender Studies
• Medical Humanities
• +5 more

Professor Steven Gunn is a Tutor in History and Professor of Early Modern History at Merton College, University of Oxford. He specializes in the political, social, cultural and military history of England and its continental neighbors from the mid-fifteenth to the later sixteenth century. His current research focuses on everyday life and fatal hazard in sixteenth-century England, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Professor Gunn teaches British and European History between 1330 and 1700, including the undergraduate Special Subject 'The Trial of the Tudor State: politics, religion and society, 1540-1560' and the MSt/MPhil paper on 'State and Society in Early Modern Europe'. His research interests encompass Tudor government, warfare, foreign policy, political culture, and comparative studies of the English state with other European states during this period. His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on Tudor England, particularly on the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, with groundbreaking work on everyday life and accidental death in sixteenth-century England. His scholarship combines traditional historical analysis with innovative approaches to social history, examining coroners' inquests to understand daily life, work, travel, and leisure in Tudor times. James Ford Lectures in British History (2015) Professor Gunn supervises numerous graduate students working on British and European political, social and cultural history in the period 1450-1600. His students have produced significant scholarly work, including published books on Tudor parliaments, Renaissance military memoirs, and Tudor reform. He is also an active public historian, writing for BBC History Magazine and History Today, contributing to radio and television programs including BBC Radio 4's 'In Our Time', and speaking regularly to Historical Association branches and sixth-form conferences. He currently serves as a trustee of the Royal Armouries.

• Political History
• Social History
• Cultural History
• +9 more

Dr. Seth Graham is an Associate Professor at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College London. His academic journey includes a PhD in Russian literature from the University of Pittsburgh (2003), preceded by MA (1994) and BA (1990) degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. He has held teaching roles at the University of Washington and a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University before joining SSEES in 2006. Research interests span cultural studies, literary studies, language studies, and cinema studies, with a focus on Russian/Soviet cultural history, humor, satire, and cinematic representation. His work examines Soviet-era cultural policies, post-Soviet identity formation, and the role of laughter in political resistance. He also organizes student cultural activities involving Russian popular music. His recent publications explore topics like Stalinist cultural control, post-Soviet cinematic narratives, and the role of humor in authoritarian regimes. Notable works include analyses of Soviet film comedy and studies on satire in Putin’s Russia. Despite no listed scientific awards, his contributions to Slavic studies are recognized through his extensive publication record and academic appointments. Advising and grant activities remain unspecified in the provided texts. Labs/teams: None explicitly mentioned. His work primarily involves individual and collaborative academic writing within SSEES frameworks.

• Cultural studies
• Literary studies
• Language studies
• +3 more

Jane Potter is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Arts, Oxford Brookes University, specializing in book and literary history, trauma studies, and war narratives. Her work bridges disciplines such as literature, history, and psychology. A.B., M.A., M.Phil, M.St, PhD (Stanford University) Her research focuses on the intersection of war literature, book history, and women's writing, particularly examining trauma and resilience in medical personnel narratives during conflicts. She has published extensively in these areas. Notable publications include Boys in Khaki, Girls in Print (2005) and Working in a World of Hurt (2015), with recent work on First World War life-writing. Her Google Scholar articles highlight themes of medical trauma, gender roles, and wartime publishing. Scientific Awards: Joint Winner of the Women’s History Network Book Prize (2006) She supervises research on publishing, media, and war-related topics and is a Trustee of the Wilfred Owen Literary Estate. Current projects include editing the Handbook of British Literature and Culture of the First World War and preparing a new edition of Owen's Selected Letters . Jane is affiliated with the Oxford International Centre for Publishing and the Print Culture Research Unit. She serves on advisory boards for the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum and the Teaching and Learning War Research Network.

• Book History
• War Literature
• Women's Writing
• +5 more

Claire Shaw is an Associate Professor in the History of Modern Russia at the University of Warwick, where she has been a faculty member since 2019. She also serves as Co-director of the European History Research Centre. Previously, she held positions at the University of Bristol and was a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research in London. Her academic work bridges history, disability studies, and cultural theory. PhD in History (specific institution not stated in text) Lecturer in Russian, University of Bristol (2011–2017) Assistant Professor, University of Warwick (2017–2019) Associate Professor, University of Warwick (2019–present) Her research focuses on Soviet identity, disability, marginality, and the politics of the body. She is especially known for her work on deaf communities in the USSR, exploring how sensory difference intersected with socialist ideology. Her recent projects examine the Soviet ideal of the 'New Man' and bodily transformation under socialism. She has also published on Soviet public space, fashion, and sensory history. The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary trend, combining history with disability studies, sensory studies, STS, and cultural theory. Her work often analyzes how state ideologies shaped personal identity and bodily experience, using diverse sources including memoirs, films, and archival materials. Key themes include identity negotiation, state control, and resistance through cultural expression. Her scientific awards include the BASEES Women's Forum Book Prize (2019) and recognition as one of the Australian Book Review 's Books of the Year (2017) for Deaf in the USSR . BASEES Women's Forum Book Prize (2019) Australian Book Review's Books of the Year 2017 She actively supervises PhD students, with past and current advisees working on topics such as disability in imperial Russia, Soviet rock culture, childhood care, and Siberian colonialism. Funding has been secured from ESRC, Wellcome Trust, and M4C. She teaches core and advanced modules including the Making of the Modern World , History of Russia since 1881 , and Socialist Bodies . She welcomes supervision in related areas of Soviet and Russian history, disability, and cultural studies. Claire Shaw is a leading figure in the European History Research Centre at Warwick, contributing to collaborative research on socialist modernity and the history of science and medicine in Eastern Europe. Her editorial work on Technologies of Mind and Body highlights her role in shaping interdisciplinary scholarship on socialist human engineering.

• History of Modern Russia
• Soviet History
• Disability History
• +7 more

Vivienne Orchard is a Lecturer in French at the University of Southampton's Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics. Her work bridges Francophone film, literature, and cultural theory with critical disability studies, migration narratives, and disciplinary epistemology. B.A. in French and Spanish, University of Oxford M.A. & Ph.D. in French, University of London (British Academy funded) Former lectrice at University of Paris XIII and Research Fellow at University of Birmingham Research interests focus on knowledge institutionalization, disability representation, and cross-border narratives. Her current project with Dr Eleanor Jones examines UK universities' role in historical disability marginalization, including eugenics genealogies. Recent publications analyze neurodiversity discourse , institutional well-being frameworks , and autism representation in French contexts. She has presented at international conferences across six countries, supported by British Academy and University of Southampton grants. PhD Supervision: Charlotte Grace Fodor As part of the Southampton Centre for Medical and Health Humanities, her interdisciplinary work challenges disciplinary boundaries while maintaining strong foundations in French literary and philosophical traditions.

• Francophone Film Studies
• 20th/21st Century French Literature
• Disability Studies
• +3 more

Dr. Diya Gupta is a Senior Lecturer in Public History at City St George's, University of London , where she explores intersections between visual culture, life-writing, and literature during wartime. Educated at Jadavpur University, University of Cambridge, and King’s College London, she previously held the Past & Present Postdoctoral Fellow: Race, Ethnicity and Equality in History at the Royal Historical Society and Institute of Historical Research (2020–2022), followed by a Postdoctoral Visiting Research Fellowship at the School of Advanced Study (2019–2020). Her first monograph, India in the Second World War: An Emotional History (2023), examines undivided India's emotional responses to WWII through letters, memoirs, and colonial photographs, shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society's 2024 Gladstone Prize. Her current project investigates wartime violence targeting colonized civilians, focusing on the 1943 Bengal Famine as a lens for understanding modern food inequalities. Dr. Gupta's recent publications span literary and visual analyses of WWII-era food deprivation, colonial photography, and marginalized narratives in academic and public history. She contributes to BBC Radio 4 programs, BBC dramas, and WWII computer games, and co-convenes the Teaching Empire and War workshop series. Her scientific awards include a HEA Fellowship and Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS). She supervises AHRC-funded PhD research with the Imperial War Museums and has secured grants from HEIF and Clore Leadership.

• Literary History
• Cultural History
• World War II Studies
• +3 more

Dr. Dominic Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanities at Northumbria University, specialising in interdisciplinary research on Holocaust testimony, cultural memory, and historical representation. He earned a PhD in Jewish Studies from the University of Leeds and held the Montague Burton Fellowship in Jewish Studies at Leeds prior to his current role. His work often involves collaborations, notably with Nicholas Chare, exploring the Auschwitz Sonderkommando’s testimonies through legal, literary, and artistic lenses. Williams' research focuses on the intersection of history, literature, and visual culture, particularly examining how trauma is documented and reinterpreted across media. Key projects include analyses of the 'Scrolls of Auschwitz,' post-war legal testimonies of Sonderkommando survivors, and cultural representations in film and music. He has co-authored/co-edited works like Matters of Testimony (2015) and The Auschwitz Sonderkommando (2019). His recent publications address digital archiving ethics, spatial interpretations of Holocaust memory, and the role of healthcare professionals as witnesses in crises. Williams actively engages in collaborative projects with cultural institutions, emphasizing interdisciplinary dialogue to bridge academic and public understandings of historical trauma.

• Holocaust Studies
• Jewish History and Culture
• Testimonies and Memory
• +5 more