Contact
Teaching Summary
* I am a passionate teacher and enjoy teaching German language, literature and history across our student cohort that ranges from beginners and post-A level undergraduates to MA and PhD students.
* I also teach across the whole university in the field of Health Humanities (for students of Medicine and Health Sciences), and as part of Nottingham's Liberal Arts degree and the Nottingham Advantage Award.
I usually offer the modules:
- 'Introduction to German National Socialism (1933-1945)' (UG, first year)
- 'Media in Germany / Medien in Deutschland (1933-1991)' (UG, second year)
- 'Mythology in German Literature: The Medea myth' (UG, final year)
* I enjoy teaching that is led by my research, for example my final year UG module on myth and myth reception in German literature or my university-wide teaching on narratives of illness experiences. Working with students while I am in the middle of researching a closely related topic always gives me impetus and I often take the opportunity to discuss new findings with students, they are excellent critics.
* I am very interested in 'traditional' and new media and enjoy teaching the second year module 'Media in Germany. Students often come back from their year abroad with ideas for an independent dissertation on the topic having visited archives, libraries or newspaper museums in Germany or simply having been exposed to different forms of German media. It is great to support students' continuing interest in the topic and I am usually available to supervise UG dissertations or PG work, often embarking on exciting archival work in Nottingham's extensive archive and manuscripts and special collections .
* As part of my research and impact activities in the field of Health Humanities (narratives of illness and recovery), I also enjoy teach university-wide, including seminars and lectures for students in Medicine and Health Sciences, PhD and MA supervisions.
* I am happy to consider supervising internal and external PhDs on topics from my areas of expertise.
Research Summary
* Narratives of illness, health and recovery in German- and English-language literatures and cultures
* Eating and eating disorders in contemporary literatures, cultures and media. Particular focus: masculinity, food consumption and body image
* Tackling health inequalities with the help of the arts. Particular focus: autobiographical writing by authors from minority and marginalized groups; letters and epistolary novels written by women
* Contemporary German-speaking Women's Writing
* Ulrike Almut Sandig (contemporary German poet, writer and and performer)
The following films document my research and impact work in the field of Health Humanities:
Consider Eating Disorders in Men (3.5 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbbdee4N4yA
Excessive Exercise and Eating Disorders (3 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5DgLQP8s8g
Film of Research Project on Eating Disorders in Men 'Hungry for Words' (12 mins):
Past Research
* Disordered eating and eating disorders in (including co-research with clinical researchers)
* Food, food consumption in German Studies and post-colonial studies
* Autobiographical writing
* Myth and German myth reception from 18th to 21st century with particular focus on the Medea myth and the figure of the centaur
* 18thC German poetry and prose (Friedrich Hölderlin; Johann Wolfgang Goethe)
* Modern and contemporary German-language poetry (Paul Celan; Anne Duden; Ulrike Almut Sandig)
* German speaking women's writing
* The genre of 'Bildungsroman' / educational novel / coming-of age novel
Future Research
* Interdisciplinary research in the field of Health/Medical Humanities
* De-colonisation of contemporary literature, art, research and educational curricula
* German Studies and/in Health/Medical Humanities with focus on i) narratives of illness by Turkish-German writers; ii.) narratives of peri-natal loss and memory from 18thC - present
* Masculinity Studies
* Life Writing by Jewish and other refugees from Nazi Germany and Austria
* The fragment as form
* I am open to collaborations within and outside German Studies/Arts & Humanities where I can employ and expand my knowledge and research experience