Research in the Department of English

All members of staff are active in individual research work and are involved as well in the research clusters listed on this page. The Department was rated 5A in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, and its research work often feeds very directly into its teaching (its teaching was rated as 'Excellent' in the QAA, and it was rated 'Full confidence' in the 2003 PQR Review). The 2004/05 academic year has been a time of exceptional expansion and change in English and Creative Writing, the Department having been joined by six new members appointed to consolidate its existing strengths and extend the range of its teaching, publications and research. For up-to-date information on staff publications since 2000 and on current research projects, visit our recent publications page.

 

The Department's research positions literature in specific historical, spatial, and cultural contexts. We have strengths in Medieval & Renaissance Literature, Romantic, Victorian, and Nineteenth Century American Literature, Twentieth Century Literature, and Contemporary Writing. Areas of distinctive research which cross period boundaries include locating literature in relation to place, literature and spiritual identities, and literature and gender. Strong research interests in literary theory, film, performance, and popular genres bring together staff with expertise in literature across a range of periods and cultural backgrounds. 

 

For further information on the Department's research activities contact the Directors of Research: Professor Alison Findlay (Term 1) and Professor Simon Bainbridge (Terms 2 and 3).