Nathalie Cochoy

Nathalie Cochoy is a Professor at the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, affiliated with the Centre for Anglophone Studies (CAS), where she has been a leading figure since 2008. She previously served as Lecturer at Toulouse-Le Mirail University from 1997 to 2008. She directed CAS from 2016 to 2021 and leads the 'Poethics' seminar. Her research centers on space in American literature, particularly the city and nature.

Her academic journey includes a Doctorate in American Literature (1996) from the University of Paris 3 on 'New York, or the Invisible City,' supervised by Hubert Teyssandier, and a Habilitation to Supervise Research (2007) on 'Reconnaissances. Approaches to Space in American Literature,' supervised by Philippe Jaworski. Her work bridges literary analysis, cultural studies, philosophy, and urban studies.

Cochoy’s research interests focus on spatial representation in American literature, urban environments, nature, invisibility, and interdisciplinary approaches to literary and cultural studies. Her scholarship explores how space functions as both setting and metaphor, particularly in the works of authors like Ralph Ellison, Willa Cather, Richard Powers, and Ernest Hemingway. She investigates themes of memory, identity, and perception through the lens of urban and natural landscapes.

Her recent publications reveal a strong trend in interdisciplinary urban studies, especially the literary and cultural dimensions of suburbs and cities. Works such as The Suburbs: New Literary Perspectives (2022) and Walking the city (2016) highlight her engagement with spatial theory, cross-cultural comparisons, and the philosophical implications of urban space. Her articles often analyze how literature represents war, memory, and silence through spatial motifs.

• Prix Littéraire de l’Académie des Sciences, Inscriptions et Belles Lettres de Toulouse, 2012
• Prix Université Jean Jaurès de l’Académie des Sciences, Inscriptions et Belles Lettres de Toulouse, 2018
• Jean Jaurès University Prize of the Academy of Sciences, Inscriptions and Belles Lettres of Toulouse, 2018

She has supervised numerous doctoral students, including Manresa Céline, Cazajous-Augé Claire, and February Etienne, many of whom received academic prizes. She has also served as guarantor for research authorization, supporting scholars like Marie Bouchet. Her editorial roles include Editor-in-Chief of the literature and arts section of Transatlantica (2009–2015) and responsibility for its 'Recognitions' section until 2020. She has co-directed several journal issues and collective volumes, often funded by ANR and LABEX-SMS programs.

Cochoy is a key member of the Centre for Anglophone Studies (CAS), a research unit under the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, which hosts seminars such as Poethics, ARTLab, and WISE Connections. She contributes to interdisciplinary research axes including 'Common Places' and 'Crises and Reconfigurations,' fostering collaboration across literary, artistic, and social sciences domains.