Phillip Rothwell

Professor Phillip Rothwell is the King John II Professor of Portuguese at the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages. His research focuses on literatures and cultures of Portugal and Lusophone Africa, employing psychoanalytic theory to analyze postcolonial contexts and imperial legacies. He is an authority on writers like Mia Couto (Mozambique) and Pepetela (Angola), currently studying works by Angolan women.

• Teaching: Lectures on 20th/21st-century Lusophone African and Portuguese authors, critical theory, translation, and postcolonialism modules at graduate level.
• Publications: Over 50 scholarly works including monographs like Pais Vazios (2023) and edited volumes on postcolonial literatures.
• Editorial Roles: Held editorial positions at journals such as MLO, Journal of Lusophone Studies, and guest-edited special issues on topics like ‘Remembering Angola’ and ‘Unfinished Revolutions’.
• Literary Translations: Translated works by Helder Macedo and Isabel Figueiredo into English.

His research themes intersect comparative literature, postcolonial studies, gender theory, and translation studies, with a focus on decolonizing literary analysis.