Dr Matthew Whittle

BA (Sheffield); MA, PhD (Manchester) 

Matthew Whittle’s teaching and research concentrates on postcolonial and global literatures, with special emphasis on the climate emergency, extinction, decolonisation and migration. Matthew’s forthcoming co-authored book Global Literature and the Environment: Twenty First Century Perspectives (Routledge) addresses how the ecological despoiling of land, water, air and life are underpinned by a history of capitalist-imperial relations. The book explores how cultural texts, especially from the Global South and indigenous nations, interrogate dominant discourses of the Anthropocene and enable us to envision global futures.

Matthew’s previous book Post-War British Literature and the “End of Empire” (Palgrave Macmillan) explores responses to imperial decline, focusing on decolonisation, Americanisation and mass immigration to Britain. He has also published articles on post-war Caribbean literature, post-colonial African nationalism and depictions of trophy hunting in contemporary art. His research has informed contributions to The Independent, Newsweek, Wire and The Conversation. 

 Matthew is a member of the Centre for Colonial and Postcolonial Studies and the Kent Animal Humanities Network. In addition, he is a co-founder and steering committee member of the Northern Postcolonial Network.

• Postcolonial studies, with a specific interest in ecocriticism, post-imperial Britishness, Caribbean literature, Southern African literature, migration and diaspora
• Twentieth and twenty-first century literature, including modernism and post-modernism
• Animal studies, concentrating on species extinction/endangerment, trophy hunting and postcoloniality 

Matthew would consider PhD proposals that relate to any of the above topics.