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.

Research highlights

People, projects and publications

People

Dr Kevin Brazil

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Modern and Contemporary Literature
  • Visual Art
  • Creative Writing
Connect with Kevin

Professor Nicky Marsh

PROFESSOR

Research interests

  • Intersections between culture and economics
  • Cultural representations of risk, money, finance, markets
  • Gender, feminism and the economy 
Connect with Nicky

Professor Philip Hoare

Professorial Fellow

Research interests

  • The cultural and emotional inter-relationship of the sea, the human and the animal.

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Philip

Ms Rebecca Smith

Principal Teaching Fellow

Research interests

  • Families in fiction.
  • Flora and fauna in fiction.
  • Jane Austen and contemporary writing.
Connect with Rebecca

Professor Sarah Hayden

Professor of Experimental Writing & Art

Research interests

  • Voice
  • Experimental Poetics
  • Artists' Moving Image

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Sarah

Professor Stephanie Jones

Professor of Literature and Law

Research interests

  • Literature and Law
  • Postcolonial and decolonial studies
  • Marine and maritime literatures
Connect with Stephanie

Professor Stephen Morton

Professor-English&Postcolonialliterature

Research interests

  • Postcolonial and world literatures in English, including literatures from Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia, and Canada
  • Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies
  • Literature, Visual Culture and Economics

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Stephen

Mr Toby Litt

Associate Professor in Creative Writing

Research interests

  • Contemporary Writing as Environmental Activism
  • Autofiction, experimental memoir, creative non-fiction
  • Short stories

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Toby