Chiara Alfano

Chiara Alfano is an Associate Professor in English and Education and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Northeastern University London. She holds a BA from the University of Oxford, and MA and PhD in Critical Theory from the University of Sussex. Her research focuses on intersections between literature, philosophy, and psychoanalysis, with specializations in 20th/21st-century literature, Shakespeare, deconstruction, feminism, and British psychoanalysis. She is also passionate about higher education pedagogy, particularly writing instruction and interdisciplinary experiential learning.

• Education: BA Oxford, MA/PhD Sussex
• Awards: Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship, IASH Postdoctoral Fellowship

Her work examines themes like sound/music in philosophy, infancy narratives, and the relationship between literature and philosophy. She has authored Derrida Reads Shakespeare (2020) and co-edited Desire in Ashes (2015). Her articles engage with figures like Derrida, Cavell, and Hamacher. As an educator, she designs courses such as the ‘First-Year Writing Studio’ and advocates holistic pedagogy informed by her research.

Her teaching spans critical theory, Shakespeare, and global literature. She previously taught at Kingston University and held fellowships at the University of Edinburgh and Kingston. Her administrative roles include shaping undergraduate curriculum and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.