Dr Nicola Darwood

I graduated with a PhD in English Literature in 2007, and I've been working at the University of Bedfordshire since 2009, teaching across all years of undergraduate study and supervising research degrees. I teach on a range of units, introducing students to literary theory, poetry, prose and plays from the medieval period to the twenty-first century, through to more specialist units such as Modern Irish Literature. I'm the course leader for the undergraduate English provision, and really enjoy working with students as they make their transition into higher education, helping them to achieve their full potential during their time at the university.

My own field of research focuses on women writers of the twentieth century and the literature of Bedfordshire, and I've published work on Elizabeth Bowen, Stella Benson and Nancy Spain. I'm also the co-editor for a journal dedicated to the work of Elizabeth Bowen. I'm currently working on an edited collection of essays on women writers of the interwar period, and the University's Literary Bedfordshire project which brings to life writers who have lived or worked in Bedfordshire.

I also enjoy working with our local secondary schools as part of the University's outreach programme, helping to enthuse students and encourage engagement with literature and language.