Alison Baker

Alison Baker is a Senior Lecturer at the University of East London within the School of Childhood and Social Care. She specializes in Education and teaches modules on inclusion, Primary English, children's literature, and reflective practice in Primary Teaching.

• PhD candidate researching white working-class children in children's fantasy fiction
• Areas of expertise: Social class representation, reading for pleasure, inclusive pedagogy

Research Focus: Investigates how social class portrayal in fantasy literature impacts children's reading engagement, with particular attention to working-class disempowerment in fictional narratives. Her work bridges literary analysis with educational practice through projects like the UEL Goodreads discussion group.

Key Publications: Contributions on social class in Harry Potter, children's comics, and critical reading pedagogy. Notable works include analyses of social capital in fantasy fiction and the use of social media for teacher development.

External Roles: Served as Children's Programme Coordinator at Eastercon 2019 (Ytterbium) and currently sits on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Historical Fiction.