Your expertise is in Francophone literature and culture with a particular focus on contemporary women’s writing. Can you tell us about your work? What drives your passion for it?
My focus on contemporary women’s writing for research and teaching is very much linked to my interest in Gender Studies and in Feminism. I am passionate about bringing to the fore the work of women writers and enjoy sparking students’ interest in the topics and issues discussed in the literature produced by female authors.
As for the emphasis on Francophone rather than just French in my work, it comes from my desire to highlight the different voices and experiences that exist across the French-speaking world; it’s about being inclusive since the notions of alterity and liminality very much apply both to Francophone and to female writers. It is key to stress the contribution of those writing in French outside France, just as it is to include writers from across the gender spectrum or from various ethnic backgrounds.
As such, both my research and teaching activities in the field of Francophone literature and culture enable me to showcase the diversity of women's experience in different countries and contexts. My job enables me to promote the work not only of established figures in contemporary literature in French but also that of up-and-coming writers on the literary scene. For instance, I recently had the opportunity to interview Fatima Daas, a young award-winning French-Algerian writer who identifies as a Muslim, lesbian, and intersectional feminist writer.
One of my classes mainly focuses on texts by women writers and on representations of issues linked to the body. Many of these texts are about the invisibility and/or the difficulty of some women's experiences and this class often acts as a trigger for students to realise how important it is to challenge social norms; to reflect on what it means to be a woman in the world, and to become aware of what still needs to be changed and achieved to make sure that we move towards more equality in society. It is also a great tool to reinforce how solidarity has been and remains key to breaking gender barriers and bias.
Tell us about your journey to Strathclyde.
I joined the University Strathclyde in 2001 as a French Language Teaching Assistant in the Modern Languages Department. I was completing my Master’s degree in English at the time. It was meant to be a one-year contract, but I am still here 20 years later.
I became Language Teaching Fellow in 2003 and later started to study part-time for a PhD in French Studies that I completed in 2012. I started my current position as lecturer in 2015, allowing me to combine my passion for teaching and research in the field of French and Francophone studies. I was Subject Leader for French between 2015 and 2018 and I currently am one of the two Postgraduate Research Directors for the School of Humanities.
Which women in your field - or academia more generally - have inspired you?
In my field and career, my main role model has been Joy Charnley who gave me confidence to start a PhD, supported and guided me through it as well as through the various stages of my career. She has been a true mentor and has become a lifelong friend.
In parallel (and this was before Twitter or Zoom) the Women in French group have been instrumental in building my network and to benefit from peer support. The type of support given to academics, PG students and ECRs alike by fellow Wifeans (as we call ourselves) has been invaluable and to date remains a model of how to look after one another in academia. As a young academic, I encountered incredible support and kindness from other women at various stages of their careers, from successful scholars keen to share their experiences (good or bad!) and to mentor others. Many of these women struggled to break the glass ceiling and the bias associated with being a woman in academia when things were even more challenging than today. To name but a few, Siobhán McIlvanney, Diana Holmes, Susan Bainbrigge. I am a proud Wifean and I endeavour to help and mentor younger scholars and colleagues in general with as much care and passion as I have always been shown by this incredible group of women.
The theme of IWD2022 is #BreakTheBias. What do you think are some of the biggest issues in terms of achieving equality in academia? What more could we be doing?
Many women writers I work on as part of my research and teaching have had to work hard to break the bias - be it class, gender or racial bias. Even though progress has thankfully been made towards equality, diversity and inclusion in academia, implicit bias is still very much a reality, and the statistics speak for themselves.
One way to improve the situation is to ensure there is true diversity at every level of an institution and to ensure more policies are in place to support everyone adequately so that they can achieve their career goals but equally thrive in their personal life. And of course, we need to continue to inform and educate people about what bias is and the many forms it can take; we have to carry on challenging bias when we notice it and we also need to be aware of our own unconscious bias and of the ways we can fix it.
