Emma Parker

Biography

Before joining Keele in January 2021, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Oxford Centre for Life Writing, and at the University of Leeds, where I was awarded my doctorate in 2020. My PhD thesis examined the legacies of the British Empire in twentieth-century women’s life writing. I am interested in all forms of postcolonial, modern and contemporary writing, and am particularly concerned with autobiographical narratives.  

Research and scholarship

My research centres on women’s life writing, focussing on a particular historical juncture when colonial rule was being dismantled across Britain’s former Empire. I am currently working on a monograph study of three life writers — Penelope Lively, Doris Lessing and Janet Frame — who wrote and rewrote their memories of growing up in colonies, former colonies and protectorates of the British Empire across numerous autobiographical texts.
My wider post-imperial interests extend beyond English literature and I am currently working on a co-edited collection of essays for Manchester University Press examining the aftermath of colonialism in social spaces, institutions, texts and local histories across Britain. Having worked for several years with the team of researchers at PositiveNegatives (SOAS), I am also interested in the power of graphic life narratives and continue to write about comics, visual cultures and illustration for a range of public and academic platforms.

Teaching

I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education academy and, during the 2020-2021 academic year I will be teaching on:

• Texts and Contexts (Level 4)
• Victorian Performances (Level 5)
• Postcolonial and World Literature (Level 6)
• Reflective Practice in the Humanities (MA)