Louise Katz

Louise Katz is an Honorary Associate in the Discipline of English and Writing within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at The University of Sydney. She joined the university in 2009 and currently teaches Critical Thinking and Persuasive Writing for Postgraduates (FASS7002) and Academic English for Postgraduates (FASS7001). Previously, she taught creative writing at the University of Technology, Sydney. Her academic journey began with a BA from UNSW, followed by a DipEd from Sydney, and a DCA from UTS.

Dr. Katz's research spans multiple intersecting fields including literature, linguistics, and cultural studies. Her primary interests focus on monsters and monstrosity in literature and politics; cultural impacts of Corporatese and other 'newspeak' forms in academic and wider communities; expressions of religious and mythic sensibilities in contemporary literature; theories of creativity and the relationship between creative and critical writing processes; the ethics of the Slow movement in relation to education; and practice-led research. Her work consistently examines how language shapes power structures and social relations.

Her recent publications reveal a strong thematic trajectory examining language corruption in academic and political contexts, with particular attention to 'Corpspeak' and 'Zombilingo' as metaphors for bureaucratic language that strips meaning from communication. She also explores the intersection of creativity and critical thinking, especially within educational contexts, while maintaining a parallel career in speculative fiction that explores dystopian themes of gender, power, and religious fundamentalism.

• Norma K Hemming Award for excellence in exploration of themes of diversity in speculative fiction (2016) for The Orchid Nursery
• Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel (2001) for The Other Face of Janus
• Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story (2004) for 'Weavers of the Twilight'

Dr. Katz supervises Masters in Creative Writing through Supervised Study Projects and maintains an active research agenda that bridges creative practice with critical analysis. Her current project includes Tattooed Places: A Travelogue, a novel under review. She has also received research funding including a 2008 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Small Teaching Improvement and Equipment Grant for 'Supporting Postgraduate Students' Writing.'