Research Institute for Literature and Cultural History

Investigating new and unexpected fields of enquiry

Literature and Cultural History at Liverpool John Moores University is a well-established research area, producing work of world-leading and international excellence as recognised in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. We have a reputation for innovation in the communication of our research and a track record of public engagement that accords with the university’s aims in widening participation and civic mission. Our staff have research connections across Europe, the United States, Australia, China and Vietnam. The Research Institute comprises staff who engage with the fields of literature, creative writing and cultural history and are eager to explore cross-disciplinary possibilities in both the methods and dissemination of their research. The Institute sits within the School of Humanities and Social Science but welcomes members for other disciplines across LJMU who engage with our research ambitions.

The Institute aligns itself with the broader project of English as a field: by engaging with the production, interpretation and negotiation of meaning, our work develops the capacity to understand the world around us from a variety of perspectives. A distinctive feature of our research is an interest in the writing and experiences of under-represented social groups, forms and voices. This gives our work its strong contemporary relevance. The desire to move into bigger-picture questions around cultural change, social justice and the complex and shifting nature of being human is another driver of our research. Working with members in Creative Writing we explore innovative modes of creative and critical practices and their articulation. We are committed to presenting our work in diverse forms: research monographs and journal articles; creative forms such as poetry, prose fiction and film; scholarly non-fiction; contemporary commentary; and multi-media public engagement.

Read the Research Institute strategy document for 2021/22