Willa Murphy

Dr. Willa Murphy is a Lecturer in Irish Writing in English at Ulster University within the School of Arts & Humanities. Her academic work bridges Irish and American literary traditions, with a focus on cultural and religious identity, migration narratives, and the intersection of family legacy with literary production.

Her research explores themes such as

• Ulster Protestant aesthetics in fiction
• Irish-American literary genealogy
• Religious duality in postcolonial contexts
• Cultural memory in Willa Cather and John Steinbeck

Murphy has organized international symposia, including the Willa Cather Symposium Ireland (2018) and John Steinbeck Symposium (2021). She received the Keough-Naughton Library Research Award (2022) for her archival work.