What Is Literature?

This is the introductory lecture for my Literary & Cultural Theory module. It introduces students to some of the questions theory can raise in relation to literature and its purpose as well as introducing some basic aspects of liberal humanism, and the module structure.

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Making Meaning: Author, Reader, Text

This is the second lecture in our second-year theory core module, and it introduces students to theories on the relationships between authors, readers, texts, and their meaning. Below you can find the the handout for this lecture. Prezi to follow!

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Academic Job Interviews

Academic job interviews can take a variety of forms, and I’ve experienced a few different kinds of job interview – both from the perspective of a candidate, as well as from the perspective of a member of the interview panel. As with any public speaking engagement, preparation is essential and managing your nerves on the […]

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Me, Myself & Social Media: Some Reflections

In 2012 I was finally persuaded – by myself rather than anyone else – to join the world of social media beyond Facebook in the form of tweeting and blogging, mainly to explore its uses for academics, in particular postgraduate students (see @Nadine_Muller and The New Academic). It seems appropriate, therefore, to spend a few […]

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Academic Job Applications

It is notoriously difficult to advise people on how to get shortlisted for an academic job. In the end, someone can satisfy all of the relevant criteria but not get shortlisted simply because someone else satisfies them to a greater degree. The reality is that not all ‘minimally qualified’ candidates can be interviewed; this is […]

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