Katherine J. Anderson

Katherine J. Anderson is an Associate Professor in the English Department at Western Washington University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on Victorian literature, empire studies, and the intersections of violence, liberalism, and human rights. She is the author of Twisted Words: Torture and Liberalism in Imperial Britain (2022), examining torture’s role in Victorian imperialism and its global legacies. Currently, she is writing a second monograph on biohazards and biochemical warfare in late-19th/early-20th century British Empire contexts.

Her work bridges literary analysis with critical terrorism studies and moral philosophy, published in venues like Public Books and The Strategy Bridge. She maintains a personal research website and was on professional leave during Spring 2025.

Anderson’s academic background includes expertise in phenomenology and gender studies, addressing ethical dimensions of colonial and postcolonial histories. Her scholarship emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding violence and governance in historical and contemporary frameworks.