معرفی
Menna van Praag serves as a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), affiliated with the Cambridge School of Creative Industries within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. She additionally teaches at the University of Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education and supervises Master's students in Cambridge University's MSt in Creative Writing program. Her academic work focuses on creative writing pedagogy, with particular expertise in the 'History of the Novel' module for ARU's MA Creative Writing program.
Her scholarly interests encompass a rich tapestry of literary fields:
- Nineteenth-century marriage and feminism
- The Pre-Raphaelites movement
- Psychological fiction techniques
- Speculative fiction frameworks
- Short fiction and flash fiction composition
- Magical realism traditions
- The historical evolution of the novel
Van Praag's publications reveal a consistent thematic focus on magical realism and speculative fiction, frequently exploring female empowerment, sisterhood dynamics, and the intersection of reality with magical elements. Her work often incorporates historical figures and Cambridge settings, creating a distinctive literary voice that bridges academic knowledge with imaginative storytelling. Many of her novels examine women's experiences through both contemporary and historical lenses, with recurring themes of healing, loss, and self-discovery.
As an educator, van Praag maintains a robust supervisory role for Master's students in Creative Writing at Cambridge University while teaching on ARU's MA program. She has also co-founded the Cambridge Creative Writing Company, which provides year-round in-person tutorials, demonstrating her commitment to writing education beyond traditional academic settings. Her current writing projects include a self-publishing venture featuring a cozy crime series titled 'The Biscuit Tin Murders,' representing her exploration of new literary genres.
