The English Showcase
Overview
The English Showcase celebrates the research produced by final-year undergraduate and masters students.
Students from all disciplines in the school are invited to present any aspect of their work, ranging from dissertations to essays and creative writing.
By participating in the showcase, students can:
- share and discuss their research with their peers
- develop their presentation skills and self-confidence in a non-pressured environment
- enhance their CVs by participating in a conference
The English Showcase 2019
During the last week of the Spring term, on Wednesday 10 April, the annual English Showcase took place in the Trent Building.
This event celebrates the research produced by final year undergraduates and by MA students, who were invited to present on any aspect of their work ranging from dissertations to essays and creative writing.
The day began with a keynote talk from Jon McGregor, Professor of Creative Writing in the School and editor of our very own literary journal, The Letters Page. Jon discussed his career, and his working practices; particularly the processes of writing. This was followed by a diverse range of papers with more than twenty students delivering presentations, providing a fantastic representation of work undertaken in the School.
Subjects that attendees could hear about included: how language reclamation was used on feminist protest signs from the 2017 Women’s March; swearing in Mandarin online; Afrofuturism in Anthony Joseph’s The African Origins of UFOS; and a feminist exploration of language and gender in adaptations and appropriations of Much Ado About Nothing. The ambition and enthusiasm demonstrated by participants was a great way to mark the end of term, and a wonderful culmination to the teaching year.
- Dr Lucie Sutherland, Assistant Professor, School of English
Past showcases
Following the success of the first showcase in 2015, the school has made it an annual event. Read more about past events below:
2018
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This year's Showcase event was held on Friday 23rd March
What a fantastic spectacle this year's Showcase was! Dr Daniel Hunt, Director of Undergraduate Studies opened up the event with a wonderful Welcome talk expressing what a great opportunity The English Showcase is for learning new things and sharing ideas. We couldn't agree more!
The line-up was certainly an impressive one whereby third year English with Creative Writing student, Tianna Johnson gave a very well received talk on 'Decolonising the Curriculum in Modern Cultural Identity in Literature' and ended with Andrea Bowd's, beautiful collection of poetries entitled, 'Panaceas' on the Creative/Critical panel. Thank you to all of our students, audience and staff for participating in and supporting this inspirational annual event.
Photos can be viewed from our Media Gallery
2017
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Proud of your work? #ShowOff17
This year's Showcase took place on Friday 7th April 2017.
Bigger than ever before, the full-day event included a diverse range of papers from fourteen speakers who were either Masters students or in their final year of Undergraduate study. Panel topics ranged from Shakespearean 'Filmic Legacies' and 'Character Interactions' to 'The Politics of Space and Things', 'The Use and Abuse of Language', and 'Religion, Science, and the Gothic'. Professor Josephine Guy, the Head of School, gave a fantastic welcome talk on the importance of public speaking both inside and outside of academia. Presentations were then followed by an informal wine reception, which provided participants with a chance to network, reflect on the day's events, and celebrate the end of term.
Photos and videos can be viewed in our Media Gallery
2016
Proud of Your Work? #ShowOff16
The English Showcase 2016 took place on the 10th February 2016, showing off a great variety of projects and research. The event included an introductory talk by a special guest speaker, award-winning novelist (and School of English alumna) Clare Harvey, who revealed how she turned her University of Nottingham Masters submissions into a two-book publishing deal.
Eleven student speakers discussed the projects that they were most proud of, covering a range of topics including theatre, creative writing, literature and language. The presentations then closed with a discussion from Associate Professor of Viking Studies, Dr Christina Lee, on the various routes English research offers.
Please see the Showcase resources, produced by the student committee, for more information on the 2016 English Showcase.
2015
The English Showcase 2015 was the first of its kind for the School of English.
It was authoritative, consistently interesting, and full of enthusiasm. Speaking in public can be very difficult, and speaking about your work in front of peers and academic staff even more so, but the students handled that side of things with aplomb. Throughout, in fact, the Showcase felt like a professional academic conference – confirming the evident care with which it had been planned and structured. Well done!
- Dr Nathan Waddell, Assistant Professor of Literary Modernism, discussing the first English Showcase in 2015
Please see the video below to hear from some of the participants and organisers of the 2015 English Showcase.
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