ÌÇÐÄTV

Research

My doctoral research, 'Self-destructive desires and the supernatural in early modern Britain', was supervised by Professor Peter MarshallLink opens in a new window and Dr Naomi PullinLink opens in a new window, and funded by the . My project explored the ways in which early modern people expressed and enacted feelings of suicide and self harm in supernatural narratives. These narratives provide an insight into how individuals conceptualised and negotiated suicidal ideation during a time where the act of suicide was not only criminal, but resulted in eternal damnation.

I passed my viva with no corrections in July 2024.

Research Interests

• Histories of mental health and wellbeing
• Early modern religion and supernatural belief
• History of emotion
• Gender and masculinity
• Laughter and humour

Publications

Articles

'Faithful men and false women: Love-suicide in early modern English popular print', Gender & History (2024)  

'Pin-swallowing and self-destruction in early modern British and Irish supernatural narratives', Cultural & Social History 20:4 (2023)

(co-authored with Sophie Pain and Shakira Hanany Abd Rahman) 'Editorial: PGR Teachers and the (Post) Pandemic World', Journal of Postgraduate Pedagogic Practice 2 (2022)

Blog Posts

• , The Conversation (2024)
• 'Tricking Pilgrims: Suicide, Jests and Popular Religion'Link opens in a new window, My-Parish (2023)
• '', History Workshop Online, for Risk and Uncertainty series (2022) [invited post]
• '', Key Things blog series, CEMS KCL (2022)
• '', HistoryLab Blog, for monthly theme on mental health histories (2022)
• ''Tied up from self-murder': Writing about suicide in the wake of the South Sea Bubble'Link opens in a new window, ÌÇÐÄTV Early Modern and Eighteenth Century Centre Blog (2022)
• 'Killing yourself to laugh: joking about suicide and self-harm in early modern EnglandLink opens in a new window', ÌÇÐÄTV Early Modern and Eighteenth Century Centre Blog (2021)
• 'World Mental Health Day: How History Informs Stigma'Link opens in a new window, ÌÇÐÄTV History Department Blog (2021)

• , The Many Headed Monster (2021)

• , Social History Society Research Exchange (2021)

Reports

• The Supernatural: Sites of Suffering in the Pre-Modern World, 14th May 2022 (co-author)
• , 29th and 30th March 2021 (co-author)

Conferences & Papers

• 'Representing male emotional pain in early modern English love ballads', , University of British Columbia, June 2024
• ‘Sexualising demoniacs in early modern English possession narratives’, Demonology through the Ages: Belief, Ideas, Material and Visual Culture, Institute of Historical Research, 8th March 2024
• 'Self-destructive desires and the supernatural in early modern Britain, Eighteenth Century Centre, University of Birmingham, 6th March 2024
• 'Suicide in the History of Emotions', NACHE Colloquium, 22nd February 2024
• 'Self-destructive desires and the supernatural in early modern Britain', Early Modern Colloquium, TU Dresden, 14th December 2023
• 'Love suicide in early modern England', Disappearances: Representations of Suicide in Literature, Culture, and History, International Symposium, 10th July 2023
• 'Laughing at and joking about suicide in early modern Britain', Humour, Laughter and Everyday Life in the Early Modern Period: gender, culture and politics, c. 1500-1800, Newcastle University, 8th July 2022
• 'Emotional responses to suicidality in early modern Britain', History Postgraduate Conference, University of ÌÇÐÄTV, 26th-27th May 2022
• 'Attempted Suicide in Early Modern Britain', , Dublin, 30th March 2022
• 'Emotional responses to suicidal intent in British supernatural narratives, 1560-1735', Newberry Library Graduate Conference, 27th January 2022
• 'Emotional responses to suicidal intent in British supernatural narratives, 1560-1735​', , University of Cambridge, 10th December 2021
• 'Emotions and suicide in early modern supernatural narratives', PG Work in Progress series, History Department, University of ÌÇÐÄTV, 11th October 2021
• 'Hidden desires: exploring early modern suicidality through supernatural narratives', , M4C funded conference, 11th September 2021
• 'Experiencing suicidal temptation in early modern British supernatural narratives', , University of Bristol, 31st May 2021 [invited paper]
• 'Conversations with demons: possession, bewitchment, and self-destruction in early modern Britain', History Postgraduate ConferenceLink opens in a new window, University of ÌÇÐÄTV, 26th May 2021
• 'Pin-swallowing, pin-vomiting, and self-harm in early modern Britain​', Centre for the History of MedicineLink opens in a new window Work in Progress seminar series, University of ÌÇÐÄTV, 27th April 2021
• ​'Enemies within and without: talking with devils about self-destruction in early modern Britain​',

  , University of Edinburgh, 26th March 2021

• 'Sharp objects, self-harm and the supernatural in early modern Britain', , 9th February 2021
• 'Sharp objects, self-harm and the supernatural in early modern Britain', PG Work in ProgressLink opens in a new window series, History Department, University of ÌÇÐÄTV, 30th November 2020
• 'Sex and Satan in the Early Modern Household', Sexual Knowledge Symposium, University of Exeter, 17th June 2019

Teaching

• 2024 - Reflective Tutor,
• 2023-2024 - Seminar Tutor, Europe in the Making (HI113)Link opens in a new window
• 2023 - Tutor, , TU Dresden
  • 'What is violence?' introductory class - lead
  • Ethics of studying violence - lead
  • Displaying violence and visit to the Militärhistorisches Museum - co lead
  • Violence in film: Duelling in Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon - co lead
• 2023 - Marking, The Early Modern Body (HI3T3)Link opens in a new window
• 2022-2023 - Seminar Tutor, Deviance and Nonconformity in Early Modern Europe (HI179)Link opens in a new window
• 2022-2023 - Teacher Champion, ÌÇÐÄTV PTCLink opens in a new window, paid role working to develop PG teacher community at ÌÇÐÄTV
• 2022 - Supervisor, URSS ProjectLink opens in a new window, ÌÇÐÄTV - Title:
• 2022 - Supervisor, Interdisciplinary Arts Research ProjectLink opens in a new window, ÌÇÐÄTV - Title: 'Magical Realism: A response to the loneliness epidemic in Japan and America'
• 2021-2022 - Seminar Tutor, Crossing Boundaries and Breaking Norms in the Medieval World (HI2E9)Link opens in a new window
• 2021-2022 - Seminar Tutor, Academic Research and WritingLink opens in a new window (part of Making of the Modern World (HI153))
• 2021 - Guest Seminar Tutor, Understanding Wellbeing Theory and PracticeLink opens in a new window, Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning, ÌÇÐÄTV
• 2021 - Guest Interviewee, Understanding Wellbeing Online Module, Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning, ÌÇÐÄTV

Responsibilities

• Mentor to PGT students in History and English, Arts Faculty, University of ÌÇÐÄTV (2023-2024)
• Social Inclusion and Diversity CommitteeLink opens in a new window GTA Rep, History Department, University of ÌÇÐÄTV (2022-present)
• Co-Editor, ÌÇÐÄTV Journal of Postgraduate Pedagogic PracticeLink opens in a new window (2022-2023) -
• The Supernatural: Sites of Suffering in the Pre-Modern World co-organiserLink opens in a new window (with Francesca Farnell), HRC funded conference, University of ÌÇÐÄTV (2021-2022)
• 'Sensitive' Histories Roundtable Discussion, chair and co-organiser, Centre for the History of Medicine, University of ÌÇÐÄTV (11th January 2022)
• History Postgraduate ConferenceLink opens in a new window committee, University of ÌÇÐÄTV (2021)
• Publicity and IT Officer, (2021)
• History PGR Work in ProgressLink opens in a new window seminar co-convener and chair, University of ÌÇÐÄTV (2020-2022)
• History Department Research Committee PGR Rep, University of ÌÇÐÄTV (2020-2021)
• History Department PG Rep, University of ÌÇÐÄTV (2020-2021)
• History Department PGT Rep, University of Exeter (2018-2019)
• History Department Athena Swan Student Rep, University of Exeter (2017-2019)
• History Department Third Year and Social Media Rep, University of Exeter (2017-2018)

Public Engagement

• '' workshop, in collaboration with Naomi Pullin, Lord Leycester, and ÌÇÐÄTV Record Office
• 'Stars, sieves and women’s stories: An interactive exhibition about early modern fortune telling', Faculty of Arts Building OpeningLink opens in a new window, University of ÌÇÐÄTV, 20th May 2022
• 'Ghosts, fairies and a wombful of rabbits: Weird and wondrous stories from early modern women', Resonate FestivalLink opens in a new window, Amazing Women strand, Coventry City of Culture, 19th March 2022​
• 'Stars, sieves and women’s stories: An interactive exhibition about early modern fortune telling', Resonate FestivalLink opens in a new window, Amazing Women strand, Coventry City of Culture, 5th March 2022
• 'Self-Injury, History, and Me' workshop series assistant, University of Reading, February and March 2022
• ​Now and Then​ session, University of ÌÇÐÄTV, 13th October 2021
• Assistant on Dr Martha McGill's exhibit, 16th June 2021 -
• , Wide Atlantic Weird podcast, 24th April 2021
• Twitter takeover, 9th-11th April 2021

Awards and Funding

• Rylands Library Early Career Research Fellowship, 2024-2025
• Humanities Research Fund, University of ÌÇÐÄTV (2023), £800 to attend North American Chapter on the History of Emotion, University of British Columbia
• Bursaries from TU Dresden; M4C Engagement Fund; European History Research CentreLink opens in a new window to take up visiting researcher position at TU Dresden, May 2023
• M4C RDF travel bursary to attend Humour, Laughter, and Everyday Life, July 2022
• Wellcome travel bursary to access collections following 'Material Encounters' online workshop, June 2022
• Newberry Library Consortium Grant to attend conference and conduct research, June 2022 - view report hereLink opens in a new window
• Early Modern and Eighteenth Century Centre grant to conduct research in Edinburgh, April 2022
• M4C RDF travel bursary to attend RSA Annual Conference, March 2022
• M4C RDF travel bursary to attend Emotions, Embodiment and the Everyday, December 2021
• for English Palaeography,Link opens in a new window October 2021
• British Academy Honorarium, June 2021
• Humanities Research Centre Doctoral Fellow 2021-22Link opens in a new window, April 2021
• Midlands4Cities-AHRC Doctoral Award, October 2020

Courses and Qualifications

• Pass with Distinction in Postgraduate Award in Teaching and Learning in Higher EducationLink opens in a new window, May 2023
• Beginner German course completed with ÌÇÐÄTV Language Centre, March 2023. I am continuing to learn German in my own time.
• Passed APP PGRLink opens in a new window, awarded Associate Fellow status with HEA, February 2022 AFHEALink opens in a new window
• English PalaeographyLink opens in a new window, ÌÇÐÄTV Centre for the Study of the Renaissance, Autumn 2021
• Tackling Racial Inequality at ÌÇÐÄTVLink opens in a new window staff development course, 2021-2022

Additional Achievements

• Winner of (as part of ÌÇÐÄTV Postgraduate Teaching Community team) (2024)
• Nominated for ÌÇÐÄTV Awards for Teaching ExcellenceLink opens in a new window (Postgraduates who teach category) (2024)
• PG Winner, Digital Arts Lab Showcase (2022)
• ShortlistedLink opens in a new window for ÌÇÐÄTV Award for Public and Community Engagement (2022)
• Venture into ÌÇÐÄTV Engagement joint winnerLink opens in a new window (2021)
• Dean's Commendation for Exceptional Achievement, University of Exeter (2019)
• Dean's Commendation for Contribution to Life of the Department, University of Exeter (2018)
• Academic Undergraduate Rep of the Year, University of Exeter (2018)

Associate Fellow of the HEA

Advance HE CATE Winner

online exhibition (collab with Dr Martha McGill)