Matthew Leggatt

Matthew Leggatt serves as Senior Lecturer in English and American Literature at the School of Humanities, University of Winchester, where he has taught since 2013. A prolific scholar, he has authored two monographs—Play in Utopian and Dystopian Fiction (2025) and Cultural and Political Nostalgia in the Age of Terror (2018)—and edited two collections, including the forthcoming Wastelands and Wonderlands (2026). He co-hosts the Utopian and Dystopian Fictions podcast and contributes to public discourse through media outlets like The Conversation, Boston Globe, and Business Insider.

His research expertise centers on Utopian and Dystopian Fiction, Nostalgia, Terrorism, and 20th/21st Century American Literature and Film. Leggatt examines how cultural memory processes collective trauma—particularly post-9/11—and how utopian/dystopian narratives reflect political and emotional landscapes. His work bridges literary analysis with film and television studies, exploring postmodernism, modernism, and popular culture through interdisciplinary lenses.

Recent publications (2023–2025) reveal a shift toward post-pandemic societal analysis (Severance, The Last of Us) and the interplay of play with dystopian frameworks (Star Trek, Ready Player One). His scholarship consistently investigates how media narratives reimagine utopia within dystopian contexts, emphasizing cultural resilience and alternative futures.

Key recognitions include:

• AHRC PhD scholarship (2010–2013)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Leggatt actively engages in academic service as co-editor of Literature Compass Journal's Contemporary section and advisory board member for the Journal of Artistic Creation and Literary Research. He reviews for major journals and presses, demonstrating commitment to scholarly community development. His podcast and conference keynotes (e.g., Mediating Violence Conference, 2025) extend research into public and academic spheres.

Through the Utopian and Dystopian Fictions podcast and collaborative projects like the SUNY Press volumes, Leggatt cultivates interdisciplinary dialogue on societal imaginaries, connecting literary scholarship with contemporary cultural anxieties and hopeful alternatives.