Tanya Harmer

Dr Tanya Harmer is a Lecturer in the Department of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She is a leading scholar in Latin American Cold War history, with a focus on Chile, transnational revolutionary movements, and gender politics. She is closely associated with the LSE’s Latin America and Caribbean Centre (LACC) and convenes the Latin America-Europe Cold War Research Network.

• BA, University of Leeds
• MA and PhD, London School of Economics and Political Science

Dr Harmer specializes in the international and transnational dimensions of Cold War struggles in Latin America. Her research emphasizes the global dynamics of revolutionary movements, particularly in Chile and their connections to Cuba and broader solidarity networks. She explores themes such as women and gender in revolutionary politics, exile, resistance, and inter-American diplomacy. Her work bridges diplomatic, social, and cultural history to offer a nuanced understanding of the Cold War beyond superpower confrontation.

Her recent publications include the acclaimed biography Beatriz Allende: A Revolutionary Life in Cold War Latin America (2020) and the co-edited volume Toward a Global History of Latin America’s Revolutionary Left (2021). Her articles examine topics such as the 'Cuban Question,' Kissinger’s diplomacy in Latin America, and transnational militant networks. Her research consistently highlights the agency of Latin American actors and the interconnectedness of regional and global histories.

• Luciano Tomassini International Relations Book Award (2013)
• LSE Major Review Teaching Prize (2014)
• Student-led Teaching Excellence Award for Research Support and Guidance (2015)
• LSE Excellence in Education Award (2016–17, 2019–20)
• British Academy Newton Mobility Award (2015)
• Michael Dockrill Memorial Thesis Prize (supervised student, 2021)

Dr Harmer supervises PhD students working on twentieth-century Latin American history and has directed the MA in History programme at LSE. She has received grants from the British Academy to support international collaborative research and has organized major conferences on the global history of Latin America’s revolutionary left. She has held visiting teaching positions at Columbia University and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where she was appointed Visiting Professor in 2023.

She is actively involved in public engagement, having contributed to BBC Newsnight, Jacobin Magazine, and the Historias podcast. She also leads educational initiatives such as the 'Diversifying the Curriculum' project at LSE and has hosted interdisciplinary workshops on memory and resistance.