I grew up in Belfast and lived there until, at the age of 18, I went to study English at Trinity College, Dublin. After graduation, I spent 2 years travelling before returning to Belfast for a MA in Modern Literary Studies at Queen's University; this was followed by a PhD on imperial women writers in India. I then spent 15 years working at Kingston University London where I was a Senior Lecturer and the Course Leader of English. I was also the PI of the Victorian Diversities Research Network, an academic group that promotes inclusive and anti-colonial approaches to British culture and literary studies.

Research interests and PhD supervision

I specialise in nineteenth-century literatures of race and empire, with a particular interest in the anglophone literatures of India. My current research has two strands: the transnational literary encounters between Indian and British women and the recuperation of marginalised nineteenth literature, especially through representations of London. I enjoy sharing this work with the public through creative walks and talks in locations around London. As the founder of the Victorian Diversities Research Network, I also continue to explore new methodologies for reading and teaching the nineteenth century in schools and universities.

Teaching

My teaching focuses on nineteenth century literature and critical methodologies, underpinned by an inclusive and anti-colonial pedagogical approach. I have convened modules on Radical Writing, Indian Writing in English, and Colonial and Postcolonial Literature.

Expertise and public engagement

I work with secondary schools in London to promote diverse nineteenth-century literature and embed inclusive approaches to the curriculum. I have also given numerous workshops to KS3 and KS4 students. I have been featured in documentaries on nineteenth-century women writers like Marianne North and Mary Ward and been interviewed on the podcast, 'Victorian Legacies'. I also give creative-literary walks that seek to introduce participants to new perspectives on particular places, such as Morden Hall Park and the Tolworth Junction in Hook.

Selected publications

My first monograph Imperial Women Writers in Victorian India: Representing Colonial Life 1850-1910 was published in 2017. Since then I have published a number of scholarly articles and book chapters including publications on Alice Perrin’s short stories (2022), Swami Vivekanada’s yoga texts (2023). I have a forthcoming chapter 'Reading Race in Popular Victorian Fiction' in the Oxford Handbook to Victorian Popular Fictions.