Heather Blakey

Heather Blakey is a scholar and Lecturer at the University of Western Australia's School of Humanities, specializing in intersections between technology, intimacy, and environment in video games, literature, and virtual worlds. She is completing a doctoral thesis on Supergiant Games' work and has published widely in literary and gaming journals. Blakey co-hosts the Meaningful Play podcast, exploring game studies, and teaches courses like ENGL1401 Narrative in the Digital Age and ENGL2220 In Other Worlds.

Her research focuses on aesthetic experiences in digital media, including studies of ghosts in Animal Crossing, Genshin Impact, and Hades, and intimacy dynamics in dating simulators. Blakey has received major awards including the 2023 UWA Convocation Matilda Award for Cultural Excellence in Literature and the 2024 Heroines Prize for Women's Writing.

Blakey holds a First Class Honours degree in English and Cultural Studies (2017) and previously worked in publishing in Australia and the UK. She serves as HDR representative on the School of Humanities Board and Research Committee, advocating for postgraduate research training.