معرفی
Vanessa Warne is a Professor in the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media at the Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba, where she has taught and researched nineteenth-century literature for over two decades. Her work bridges literary studies with disability studies, the history of the book, and material culture.
Education:
- PhD in English, Queen's University, 2001
- MA in English, Queen's University, 1996
- BA Honours in English, Queen's University, 1995
Her research focuses on critical disability studies—especially blindness studies—the history of raised-print books, tactile reading, and the representation of museums and material culture in Victorian literature. She explores how blind and visually impaired readers engaged with literature and how sensory experience shapes cultural production. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates literary analysis, archival research, and public humanities.
The selected publications reflect a sustained inquiry into blindness as both a sensory condition and a cultural construct. Themes include tactile cartography, non-visual culture, accessibility in museum spaces, and the design of early print systems for blind readers. Her work spans British, American, and Canadian contexts, with increasing attention to transnational networks of disability knowledge.
Scientific Awards:
- University of Manitoba, Student’s Teachers Recognition Award (2018)
- University of Manitoba, Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Campbell Outreach Award (2015)
- Olive Beatrice Stanton Award for Excellence in Teaching (2008)
- Merit Award for Teaching (2008)
- Graduate Students’ Association Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching (2007)
Warne is actively involved in graduate education, currently accepting Master’s and PhD students. She co-directs the Crafting Communities research project and has led pedagogical initiatives using open educational resources during the pandemic. Her outreach includes co-organizing conferences on blindness studies and curating accessible exhibitions on tactile print and Victorian material culture.
She co-hosts the podcast Victorian Samplings, which explores nineteenth-century material culture through interviews with scholars, artists, and curators. She has also co-curated digital and physical exhibitions such as Victorian Things and Books Without Ink: Blindness, Reading and Writing, 1830–1930, emphasizing accessibility and public engagement.
