Matthew Sussman

Matthew Sussman is a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of English and Writing at the University of Sydney, within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He holds degrees from Harvard (BA, MA, PhD) and Cambridge (M.Phil). His research focuses on 19th-century British literature, particularly Victorian novel ethics and aesthetics, alongside philosophical engagements with literary style. Previously, he taught at Harvard and worked as a policy analyst for the Canadian government.

Education:

• BA (Harvard)
• M.Phil (Cambridge)
• MA (Harvard)
• PhD (Harvard)

Research Interests: Sussman explores the intersection of ethics and aesthetics in Victorian literature, including stylistic virtue, moral philosophy, and artistic criticism. He has written extensively on Henry James, Anthony Trollope, and George Eliot, emphasizing narrative form and intellectual history.

Awards:

• 2024 SUPRA Supervisor of the Year
• 2022 FASS Teaching Excellence Award
• 2014 Thomas T. Hoopes Prize

Teaching & Supervision: Teaches courses like 'The Victorian Novel' and supervises PhD projects on topics ranging from 19th-century British literature to global literary perspectives. Current advisees include Austin Dobson (French poetry anglicization) and Tom Gunther (19th-century novel failure studies).

Publications: Key works include Stylistic Virtue and Victorian Fiction (2021) and co-edited Antipodean George Eliot (2023), exploring de-centered approaches to Eliot's legacy.