Dr Gaspard Pelurson

Gaspard joined the Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries in January 2022. He grew up in France and Belgium and first obtained his BA in English Studies at the University of the Sorbonne-Nouvelle (Paris III). He then completed his Masters in English Literature at the University of Cambridge in 2012 and MA in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex in 2013. While working as a Doctoral Tutor and a Research Associate at the University of Sussex, he received his doctorate in Media and Cultural Studies in 2018. He started as a Lecturer in Media at Leeds Beckett University from 2019 to 2022 and retains fond memories of the North.

Research interests and PhD supervision

• Queer Game Studies
• Digital exploration and mapping
• Queer détournement
• Ludic pedagogy
• Queer Gaming communities

Gaspard serves on the editorial board of Convergence and Continuum. His first monograph, Manifestations of Queerness in Video Games, explores the integration of video games with queer culture, including drag, cyborgs, sissies, flânerie, monsters, and the latent homoeroticism found in wrestling. His primary research interests lie at the intersection of queer and game studies. Drawing from cultural studies, game theory, gender studies, and queer theory, his work views games as a multifaceted medium and a platform for critical societal reflections. Of particular interest are alternative and 'deviant' gaming experiences, the mapping of game spaces, and the interplay between gaming and everyday life practices. Gaspard's contributions have been featured in journals such as Game Studies, Continuum, or Convergence, as well as various edited collections.

Selected publications

• Pelurson, G. (2020) Cathartic Corridors: Queering Linearity in Final Fantasy XIII. Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies.
• Pelurson, G. (2019) Flânerie in the dark woods: Shattering innocence and queering time in The Path. Convergence: the journal of research into new media technologies, 25 (5-6), pp. 918-936.
• Pelurson, G. (2018) Mustaches, Blood Magic and Interspecies Sex: Navigating the Non-Heterosexuality of Dorian Pavus. Game Studies, 18 (1).

Teaching

• Global Media Industries
• Game Industries and Cultures
• Digital Games and Gaming Culture
• Digital Futures