Christy Williams

Christy Williams is a Professor and Chair of the Department of English and Applied Linguistics at Hawaiʻi Pacific University. She specializes in contemporary fairy tales, gender studies, and narrative theory. Her research examines transformations of fairy tales in literature and media, focusing on gender dynamics and metafictional techniques. Williams holds a Ph.D. from the University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa, and has taught courses on fantasy literature, textual criticism, and fairy tale analysis.

Her major works include Mapping Fairy-Tale Space (2021), which won the Chicago Folklore Prize, and co-edited Beyond Adaptation (2010). She also serves as Fairy Tales and Folk Narratives Division Head for the International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts and co-edits Marvels & Tales.

Williams’ scholarly contributions span fairy tale films, video games, and novels, with a focus on how these forms subvert traditional narratives. She has received awards for both scholarship and teaching, including Hawaiʻi Pacific University’s Golden Apple Award (2020).

Her academic service includes administrative leadership as department chair, fostering interdisciplinary connections between folklore studies and modern media.