Leah Phillips

Dr. Leah Phillips is a Lecturer in the School of Information at San José State University and holds visiting academic positions at the University of Worcester and University College London. She specializes in Young Adult (YA) studies, with a focus on children's and YA literatures, particularly the representation of female adolescence in fantasy fiction.

She earned her PhD in English and Comparative Literary Studies from the University of Warwick (2016), an MA in Children's Literature from the University of Reading (2010), and a BA in Humanities with an emphasis in Literature from The Open University (2008).

Her research interests include feminist literary criticism, mythopoeic YA literature, adolescent identity formation, and female heroism in fantasy. She is the founder and current President of the YA Studies Association, an international scholarly organization dedicated to advancing research and pedagogy in YA studies.

The trends in her publications reflect a sustained scholarly engagement with the empowerment of adolescent girls through literature, the reinterpretation of mythic structures, and the cultural significance of YA narratives. Her work bridges literary analysis, feminist theory, and youth culture studies.

She has been recognized for her contributions to the field through her editorial and leadership roles, including her presidency of the YA Studies Association and her active publication record in journals such as The International Journal of Young Adult Literature and Girlhood Studies.

Dr. Phillips teaches courses such as INFO 267 – Seminar in Services to Children and Young Adults, where she integrates her research into pedagogy. She has previously served as a Senior Sessional Lecturer and Sessional Lecturer at the University of Warwick and as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire.

• Visiting Lecturer, University of Worcester, Creative Writing (2021–present)
• Visiting Instructor, University College London, Information Studies (2021–present)
• Visiting Lecturer, University of Bedfordshire, School of Education (2019–2021)
• Senior Sessional Lecturer, University of Warwick (2018–2020)
• Sessional Lecturer, University of Warwick (2013–2018)
• Tutor, The Brilliant Club, Scholars Programme (2013)

She is currently revising her monograph Female Heroes in Young Adult Fantasy Fiction: Reframing Myths of Adolescent Girlhood, forthcoming with Bloomsbury, which will contribute significantly to the academic discourse on gender and genre in YA literature.