Maria Tavares

Dr. Maria Tavares is a Senior Lecturer and co-coordinator of Portuguese Studies at the School of Arts, English and Languages of Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland. She specializes in postcolonial literatures and film from Portuguese-speaking Africa, gender studies, and representations of heroism.

Education:

• Graduate Degree in Modern Languages and Literatures (Portuguese and English Studies) at the University of Porto, Portugal
• MA in European Languages and Cultures at the University of Manchester, UK
• PhD in Portuguese Studies at the University of Manchester (2011), supervised by Professor Hilary Owen

Research Interests:
Dr. Tavares’s research explores postcolonial literatures and film, gender studies, and heroism, particularly focusing on intersections between nationalism, national identity, and gender in Lusophone Africa. Her monograph No Country for Nonconforming Women (2018) critically examines feminine conceptions of Lusophone African identity and culture. She is currently researching female heroism and anti-heroism in Mozambique during the one-party era (1975-1994).

Publications Trends:
Her recent works analyze postcolonial identities, gender dynamics, cosmopolitanism, and historical narratives in Lusophone African literature and film. Key themes include feminism, national identity, and revolutionary impacts on Mozambican and Angolan cultures.

Scientific Awards:

• Research Fellowship by The Leverhulme Trust (2017)
• Multi-Year Research Grant by University of Macau (2014)
• Research Grant by University of Macau, China (2013)
• PhD Grant by University of Manchester (2006)
• PhD Grant by Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal (2007)

Student Supervision:
She supervises PhD students researching Lusophone African Cinema and Female African Diasporic Writing in Portugal and Spain, both funded by the Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership, and co-supervises MRes students.

Research Activities:
Dr. Tavares actively participates in academic events such as the WISPS Conference 2021 and serves on the editorial board of the Portuguese Studies journal. She has also been an external examiner for Portuguese programs at other institutions.