Gaby Pailer

Gaby Pailer is a Professor of German Literature at the University of British Columbia (UBC), affiliated with the Department of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies within the Faculty of Arts. She joined UBC in 2001 as Associate Professor, advancing to full Professor in 2010. She served as Head of CENES (2011–14) and Acting Head of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies (2013–15). Her research focuses on women’s drama and theatre in German cultural history, decolonial approaches to literature, and gender studies. Notable projects include the Handbook of Women’s Drama and Theatre in German Cultural History (collaborative SSHRC project) and studies on Charlotte Schiller’s literary legacy.

Her academic contributions span monographs, edited volumes, and refereed articles. Awards include the Senior Early Career Scholar Award from UBC’s Peter Wall Institute (2005–06) and major SSHRC grants. She has supervised numerous graduate students and co-directed theatre productions at UBC, including Girls in Uniform (2013) and Der gestiefelte Kater (2006). Current research explores female adventure narratives and gendered responses to climate change. Pailer also holds editorial roles, including co-editorship of Jahrbuch für Internationale Germanistik.

Key themes in her work include recentering women’s contributions to German literary traditions, challenging canonical exclusions, and analyzing intersections of gender, power, and cultural sustainability. Her projects often involve transnational collaborations, emphasizing global scholarly exchange.