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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Kingston University
Penrhyn Road
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey KT1 2EE

Tel: +44 (0)20 8417 9000

External research activities

  • Adam Baron's novel, Shut Eye, published in 2000 by Macmillan, was broadcast on Radio 4 in March 2004 in four parts.
  • Paul Bailey frequently makes and appears in radio programmes in the UK. Recent programmes include 'The Verb' (BBC Radio 3, February 12, 2005) - a special edition featuring writers Ali Smith and Paul Bailey in dialogue about dialogue; 'Night Waves' (BBC Radio 3, November 24th, 2005) talking with Paul Allen about the publication of Truman Capote's first, previously unpublished novel, Summer Crossing; 'A Sorrowful Knowledge' (BBC Radio 3 November 6, 2004) in which Bailey explored the haunted, elegiac world of the novels of Giorgio Bassani, author of The Garden of the Finzi Continis. He has also written for The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, The Observer, The Guardian, The Independent and The Times.
  • Dr. Matthew Birchwood was co-curator of the exhibition 'East-West: objects between Cultures' at Tate Britain (September 2006-February 2007).
  • Dr. Brycchan Carey took part in 'Marking the Abolition of the British Slave Trade' (BBC World TV News, 27th March 2007) and was consultant for, and appeared in, the BBC Radio 4 programme 'Making History' (2004). He was also featured in a Times Higher Education article (11.8.2006) concerning 'key names to watch in the arts and humanities' by Anna Fazackerley (2006). He took part in numerous conferences and events celebrating the abolition of the Slave Trade during 2007.
  • Professor Norma Clarke appeared on 'Woman's Hour', Radio 4 (2004). She is also a regular reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement and the London Review of Books.
  • Rachel Cusk's articles and reviews have appeared in The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph, The Evening Standard, The New Statesman, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Independent on Sunday, The Financial Times and The Scotsman, among others. In August 2005 she spoke about her novel, In the Fold, in 'Women's Hour'on Radio 4. She was also interviewed about her writing in March 2003 in Radio Four's 'Open Book' programme.
  • Professor Vesna Goldsworthy's novel, Chernobyl Strawberries published March 2005, prompted over 200 newspaper reviews and media interviews and was serialised in The Times (2005) and as Radio 4 'Book of the Week' (2005). Vesna Goldsworthy gave many invited readings from Chernobyl Strawberries in Britain (inc. Royal Festival Hall, Hay on Wye, Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Spit-Lit Literary Festival, the Purcell Hall, Bath Literary Festival) and abroad (including book tours in Germany and Austria, 2005 and book festivals in Hamburg and Cologne, 2006); she opened the Belgrade Book Fair in 2005 on behalf of the UK as Guest of Honour and gave series of readings and signings in Serbia and Montenegro under the aegis of the British Council. She also appeared in the BBC4 TV programme 'The Hunt for Middle England (March 2007) and on Australian ABC Radio (June 2006). Professor Goldsworthy is also a Member of the Advisory Panels for the British Council (UK-South East Europe Forum) and the Institute for Journalism in Transition (London and Prague).
  • Professor Rafey Habib gave two talks on Islam and culture on Lifenet Radio (both 2003).
  • Emeritus Professor Avril Horner is a member of the AHRC Panel for English Language and Literature (2006-9) and Co-President, the International Gothic Association (2005-9).
  • Liz Jensen spoke at the Cheltenham Festival in 2004 with Anthony Minghella about the process of turning a novel into a film. In addition to the numerous reviews of her acclaimed novels in a wide range of media outlets such as The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, she is herself a frequent broadcaster. Media appearances have included speaking on 'Women's Hour' in 2004 about her novel The Ninth Life of Louise Drax, which was also featured on BBC Radio Four's 'Open Book' programme.
  • Dr. Meg Jensen appeared on 'Sky News' in the 'Adam Boulton Sunday Morning Programme' in December 2005 to discuss the works of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein. She also judges the Short Cuts Stories competition in Creative Writing.
  • Dr. Jane Jordan was Researcher and Script Consultant to the BBC for 'The Victorians: Scandalous Women', BBC2 (January 2001); she also appeared on 'Woman's Hour', Radio 4, BBC Essex and LBC to talk about her biography of Butler (both 2001) and again on Woman's Hour to comment on the achievements of Josephine Butler (December 2006). Jane Jordan's Kitty O'Shea: Scandalous Victorian (published 2005) received extensive media coverage, particularly in Ireland.
  • Hanif Kureishi is an internationally acclaimed novelist, dramatist and scriptwriter, and his numerous media appearances are commensurate with the worldwide level of interest stimulated by his work. He is often the subject of programmes, such as the recent 'Belief' programme with Joan Bakewell and 'Night Waves' (both Radio 3, January 2007) and The Culture Show on BBC 2 (2004). He also appeared in the documentary X-Rated, a history of adult certificated films (Channel 4) and in the award winning documentary Andrew and Jeremy Get Married (both 2004); in 2005 he featured in the Spanish television series Millenium. His novel Intimacy was made into the multi-award winning film Intimacy in 2001, and he wrote the screenplay for The Mother (2003) which won a London Critics Film Circle Award. Extensive media coverage was given to his screenplay Venus (2007), which was nominated for fifteen awards including BAFTA, Academy Award and British Independent Film Award.
  • Dr. Anne Rowe's media appearances included participation in programmes on Iris Murdoch for BBC Radio 5 Live (2002) and Radio 4 PM (2003 and 2004). She also acted as consultant to BBC2 for a programme on Iris Murdoch (2003).

Staff are frequently asked to act as external examiners for PhD theses submitted at other universities.

Photograph of an open book