Natalie Ilsley

I studied at Keele University where I obtained a BA (Hons) in English and American Literatures; I then moved on to the University of Edinburgh to complete my MSc in International and European Politics. I have also written for various publications, including The Guardian and The Independent, and was Editor-in-Chief of Concourse Magazine (2014-15) at Keele University. While I worked in London as a Journalist for Newsweek, I completed a number of graphic design projects for the British Library and Imperial College London.

My research combines my interdisciplinary background. It will explore how displaced negotiate the ambivalent experience of being resilient subjects through the creative arts produced in the context of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This research will focus on women based in Stoke-on-Trent. The term ‘displaced’ here refers to any displaced person and includes: migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. The project will be primarily supervised by Dr Anastasia Valassopoulos (University of Manchester), Dr Mariangela Palladino (Keele University) and Dr Lisa Dikomitis (Keele University).

I am particularly interested in postcolonial texts, namely those by Zoe Wicomb, Jean Rhys, and Toni Morrison.