PhD Scholarship Opportunity: Cultural Policy and Contemporary Anglophone Literary Festivals

Campaign No.: 510232
ARC Discovery Project - Performing Authorship in the Digital Literary Sphere
Faculty: Faculty of Arts
Programme: Literary and Cultural Studies
Location: Clayton campus
Scholarship tenure: 3 years full time
Scholarship Value: $24,653 per annum full-time rate (tax-free stipend) (plus travel expenses)

This is an exciting opportunity to conduct research as part of a highly contemporary ARC Discovery Project. You will be working under the supervision of researcher Dr Simone Murray, Senior Lecturer in Communications and Media Studies at Monash U. You will be investigating the cultivation of authorial celebrity within the key site of the international literary festival circuit, and the complex interplay of civic and national policy-settings which facilitates this.

Project Description and Aims

The PhD scholarship comprises part of a larger, multi-year research project examining the phenomenon of authorial celebrity within the digital literary sphere. In order to understand how constructions of literary authorship are shifting in the digital era, it is necessary to understand first how authorship has been cultivated in 'offline' fora, the most important of which are the plethora of international literary and writers' festivals which have sprung up in recent decades in the English-speaking world. This circuit comprises headline book-world festivals such as those held in Hay-on-Wye, Edinburgh, Toronto, Adelaide, Sydney, and Melbourne as well as a host of smaller events. The project aims to understand:

  • how the phenomenon of the writers festival has changed the nature of contemporary authorship through normalising performative modes
  • the component roles of publishers, literary agents, book retailers and readers in literary festival events
  • cultural policy, marketing and tourism strategies related to the writers' festival phenomenon
  • the impact of digital technology (recording and archiving events; live link-ups; guest bloggers; tweeting etc) upon writers' festivals.

    • Applicants are advised to outline a specific research project they would undertake within these broader parameters.

    Guidelines to Preparing an Arts Research Proposal, Arts, Monash U

    From January 2013, Monash U has introduced Graduate Research Programs which will incorporate coursework and research training skills development. For more information, please go to: Literary & Cultural Studies HDR program - Research Area of study - Faculty of Arts - 2013 Handbook - Monash U Candidate Requirements

    The successful student will have an excellent academic track record (Honours 1 or equivalent in English, Cultural Studies, Communications or a related discipline) and demonstrated capacity for humanities research.

    Prior academic publications or experience with literary-focused cultural policy bodies would be advantageous. The scholarship will be awarded at the equivalent of current Australian Postgraduate Award rates.

    Prospective international applicants should note that the scholarship does not cover foreign-student tuition fees. Candidates will be required to meet Monash entry requirements which include English-language skills.

    http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/hdr/study-options/phd.php

    To apply

    Email your curriculum vitae, full academic transcript, research proposal (three pages maximum, including bibliography), contact details of three referees and a brief statement of academic and practical suitability for the project to Dr Simone Murray Simone.Murray@monash.edu Closing Date Friday, 26 April 2013 by 5 p.m.