معرفی
Dr Aksel Dadswell serves as a Lecturer in the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University, teaching Creative and Professional Writing courses at South West and Mt Lawley campuses. He coordinates units including CCC3102 (Writing the Real), CCC3109 (Speculative Fiction), WRT1103 (Creativity and Writing), and WRT3120 (Biographical and Autobiographical Writing), focusing on horror and speculative fiction that interrogates social structures through monstrous narratives.
His academic credentials include:
- Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University (2019)
- Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours, Edith Cowan University (2013)
- Bachelor of Arts Major in Literature and Writing, Edith Cowan University (2012)
Dadswell's research critically examines how horror subgenres—cosmic, folk, body horror, and gothic—explore systemic social issues, race, and gender while challenging colonial narratives. His scholarly work analyzes storytelling mechanics across genres, emphasizing horror's capacity for social commentary and its evolution in contemporary culture. This interdisciplinary approach bridges creative practice with cultural theory, positioning speculative fiction as a vital tool for understanding human monstrosity and societal trauma.
His publication trajectory reveals consistent engagement with Black representation in horror (2024 Candyman analysis), regional Australian folklore (2021's Hymns of Abomination), and bodily transformation narratives (2018's Something Hungrier Than Love). These works collectively demonstrate his thematic focus on marginalized perspectives within supernatural frameworks, evolving from early poetic explorations of scale (2006's In the Belly of a Flea) toward sophisticated critiques of race and memory in 21st-century horror.
Dr Dadswell's creative excellence is recognized through:
- 2013 Katharine Susannah Prichard Speculative Fiction/Fantasy Award (Highly Commended)
- 2008 Billabong Valley Short Story Competition (1st Prize)
- 2008 FAW Colin Thiele Poetry Award (1st Prize)
- 2005 John Marsden Poetry & Short Story Prize (1st Prize)
He actively mentors emerging scholars as Co-principal Supervisor for the climate crisis-focused PhD project Harvest Highway and Associate Supervisor for The Wound Model examining surgical depictions in fiction. His $76,077 Department of Local Government grant for Run-down: Short fiction from a fading hotel in regional Western Australia (2024-2025) supports practice-led research connecting regional decay with narrative innovation, demonstrating sustained commitment to Western Australian creative landscapes.
While not formally affiliated with a dedicated lab, Dadswell's work is deeply embedded in ECU's Creative Writing community and regional Western Australian cultural initiatives, particularly through South West campus engagements and government-funded projects exploring local narratives.
