معرفی
Kaja Franck is a Lecturer in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Hertfordshire, where she serves as Programme Leader for the MA: Literature & Culture (Online). Her academic work focuses on the intersection of Gothic literature, ecocriticism, and monstrosity studies, with particular expertise in werewolves, vampires, and their ecological dimensions. She is an active researcher in the field of Ecogothic criticism, examining how horror and Gothic literature engage with environmental concerns.
Dr. Franck completed her PhD at the University of Hertfordshire with a thesis titled 'The Development of the Literary Werewolf: language, subjectivity and animal/human boundaries' (2013-2016), following an MA in English Literature from the University of Sheffield on 'Incestuous Daughters and Absent Mothers: the Literary Vampire's Subversion of the Family.' Her educational background reflects her longstanding interest in Gothic literary traditions and monstrous figures.
Her research interests span Ecogothic criticism, Gothic studies, and specific applications to fairies, trolls, werewolves, shark horror, animal studies, vampires in popular culture, and ballet as a Gothic medium. Dr. Franck's work consistently explores how Gothic narratives engage with ecological concerns, particularly through monstrous figures that challenge human-animal boundaries. Her scholarship reveals how werewolves function as ecogothic monsters that embody environmental anxieties, while her work on ballet examines dance as a Gothic medium that explores bodily horror and transformation.
Analysis of Dr. Franck's publications shows a consistent focus on Gothic hybridity, particularly the intersection of human and animal forms, and how these representations reflect broader cultural and environmental concerns. Her work demonstrates a trajectory from traditional Gothic monsters toward contemporary ecological horror, examining how modern horror engages with environmental crises through figures like sharks and werewolves. The breadth of her research spans Victorian literature to contemporary popular culture, revealing continuity in how Gothic narratives process societal anxieties through monstrous figures.
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Dr. Franck co-founded the 'Danse Macabre' research project (2022-present) with Dr. Karen Graham and Kate Harvey, which investigates the Gothic nature of dance, particularly ballet. Previously, she was a member of the 'Open Graves, Open Minds' project (2014-2024), led by Dr. Sam George and Dr. Bill Hughes, dedicated to studying the Undead and other monsters in popular culture. She is also a graduate representative for the Impactful SoTL Educational Enterprise Collective (ISEEC), which she co-founded with Dr. Earle Abrahamson and Dr. Peter D'Sena to share and research best practices in Higher Education.
Her teaching specialisms include Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), modeling vulnerability for students, the Compassionate Classroom approach, and 'Weird Teaching' that explores liminality and learning. Dr. Franck is particularly interested in how Gothic pedagogy can create transformative educational experiences that acknowledge student vulnerability while fostering critical engagement with complex subject matter.
