Research

My thesis examines the representation of selfhood in lesbian narratives of the Weimar Republic, particularly the articulation of internalised homophobia and anxieties about the role of the homosexual other in interwar society. The project engages with contemporary lesbian literary theory, most notably Adrienne Rich’s argument surrounding appropriation of traditional conventions. Additionally, it will consider Lillian Faderman’s arguments regarding what constitutes canonical lesbian literature and how the use of heteronormative conventions may prove problematic in creating a definitive historical canon.

My analysis seeks to outline the appropriative representational strategy in texts, such as A. E. Weirauch’s Der Skorpion trilogy (1919-31) and Christa Winsloe’s drama Gestern und Heute (1930). It focuses predominantly on the subversion of established religious and Gothic tropes, as well as the use of visual signifiers of difference. By examining both Gothic and religious readings of the narratives, my analysis seeks to identify a new paradigm for reading and understanding the complex construction of sapphic identity during the Weimar Republic period.

Research Interests

Weimar Literature; Gay and Lesbian Literature; Sapphic Modernism; Gothic Literature; Weimar Cinema

Publications

Matthew J. Berry and Hannah O’Connor (eds.), Forbidden Fruits, Forbidden Histories: going past the accepted queer canon (Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Forthcoming 2013).

Academic History

2011-2012 MA English Literature (Distinction), Cardiff University
2007-2011 BA German and English Literature (First Class Hons), Cardiff University

Other Activities

I am currently the PGR representative for the Cardiff School of European Languages, Translation and Politics, as well as Education Executive representative for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. If you have any questions, concerns or points to raise at the PGR Review Group or Research Committee, please email me.