Jessica Gildersleeve

Professor Jessica Gildersleeve is a leading academic in the School of Humanities and Communication at the University of Southern Queensland. Her research spans trauma studies, Gothic fiction, Australian literature, and gender/queer theory, with a focus on intersections between cultural narratives and social justice. She holds a PhD from the University of Bristol and has supervised numerous doctoral candidates on topics related to Australian Gothic, trans rights, and literary trauma.

• BA, University of Queensland (2004)
• BA (Hons), University of Queensland (2005)
• PhD, University of Bristol (2010)

Her recent publications analyze Australian cinema through Gothic lenses, trauma in prison systems, and health communication via children’s media. She co-edited Screening the Gothic in Australia and New Zealand (Amsterdam University Press, 2022) and authored works on Elizabeth Bowen’s legacy in modernist trauma studies. Current supervisions include research on Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dramione as genre, and trauma-informed editing frameworks.

2025 article trends include explorations of Australian Gothic in true crime, trans healthcare in prisons, and neo-Victorian trauma narratives. Her collaborative works with Kate Cantrell and others address pandemic storytelling and media criticism.

She is affiliated with the Centre for Health Research and the Centre for Heritage and Culture at the University of Southern Queensland.