Academia

Children’s literature – study creative writing

As well as working as a children’s author, I am also a researcher within the academy. I am based at Lancaster University in the English Literature and Creative Writing department. I lecture on writing children’s literature and I help students who study creative writing to be the best they can be.

Children’s Literature in Academia

My own research is practice-based, with my novels forming the main body of my work. I am especially interested in how working class families and blended families might be celebrated within children’s literature and I seek to explore those ideas in my own work.

My debut novel How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant began this trajectory, as I wrote it as part of my MA in Writing for Young People. I also hold a Phd, which was awarded for my novel The Short Knife which used a blend of Welsh and English in order to create the voice of its main character.

I also publish on topics to do with studying and teaching creative writing.

Further reading

For a fuller description of my academic practice and current research interests, please take a look at my profile page at Lancaster University.   >

If you are looking for a PhD supervisor for your own children’s literature project, then it is best to approach me via my university email address, which again, can be found on my academic profile page.   >

Elen

Inspiring stories for everyone