Research centre

Centre for Modern and Contemporary Writing (CMCW)

Rows of books on shelves in a library

The Centre for Modern and Contemporary Writing supports interdisciplinary research on 20th and 21st-century writing and culture.

Part of English, Film, History, Music

About

Our diverse group includes academics, writers, and research students. We share an interest in writing and contemporary culture in all its forms.

We take an interdisciplinary approach to writing and culture. We forge new ways of thinking about the connections between contemporary literature and many other fields. These include the sciences, law, aesthetics, politics, ethics and critical theory. Additionally, we explore connections with space, maritime studies, medicine, finance and Jewishness. Our approach extends to visual culture, popular culture, gender, music, postcolonialism and philosophy.

Our research projects are recognised by major external grants and published internationally. They shape public policy, cultural landscapes and critical debates.

We are committed to engaging academics, researchers and public audiences in the literary production of our time. Coming from many different perspectives, we bring diverse critical attitudes to bear on a vast array of topics. We work together to foster engagement and stimulate interest in the writing and critical reading of contemporary literature.

Collaborations

We have collaborations at national and international level. We also have links with local arts institutions and organisations, including:

John Hansard Gallery

John Hansard Gallery is a contemporary art gallery based at University of Southampton. It is an internationally recognised gallery which we have worked with on many projects. Highlights include the Entropics experimental poetry events and the Writers in Conversation reading series.

SO:Write

SO:Write is a multi-strand literature development strategy and delivery programme based in Southampton. It provides a wide range of activities for people from primary age to university graduates and professional writers.

We welcome contributions by external partners and cultural institutions, and we are always seeking to make new connections.

Community

The research group has a wider community through our Twitter page. We are open to collaborating on events and sharing knowledge across disciplines.

View our portfolio of work.

People, projects and publications

People

Dr Giulia Champion PhD

Research Fellow (Anniversary Fellowship)

Research interests

  • Blue, Energy and Environmental Humanities
  • Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies
  • Marine and Maritime Cultural Productions
Connect with Giulia

Mr Isaac Fravashi

Research interests

  • Collage aesthetics in literature
  • Gender
  • Authorial Identity
Connect with Isaac

Dr Jakub Boguszak

Lecturer B

Research interests

  • casting practices in Shakespearean productions
  • actors' parts and documents of performance in the early modern period
  • the works of Ben Jonson, printed and performed

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Jakub

Professor James Jordan

Head of School (Interim)

Research interests

  • The British Broadcasting Corporation
  • Holocaust studies
  • Post-war media in Britain

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with James

Dr Joseph Owen

Research Fellow

Research interests

  • Modernist art and literature
  • Theories of sovereignty
  • Philosophies of modernism

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Joseph

Dr Justine Pizzo

Lecturer

Research interests

  • Victorian Literature and Culture
  • Victorian Ecology
  • Climate in Literature

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Justine