Current PhD Students

Aakanksha Singh

Thesis Title:

Quiet Queerness in Contemporary Indian Writing (2000 to 2015)

Supervisor:

Professor Claire Chambers

Description:

My thesis argues that quietness can be framed as a productive, resistant and thereby political form of queerness rather than a passive form. I look at five texts from contemporary Indian writing that portray women loving women. The five novels have been published in the last 20 years, between 2000 and 2015. All of texts have been written in English, except one which is written in Hindi. I look at both the original and the translated text in that case. In close reading the five texts, I examine queerness as a mode or way of being, rather than as an identity category. In particular, I look at how being quietly queer as a form can be expressed through different modes such as loitering, friendship or the interplay of invisibility and visibility.

Aakanksha holds an MA in English Literature from University of Delhi and a BA (Hons) in English Literature from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai University. She has previously worked in a range of roles from Assistant Editor with Dorling Kindersley publications to curriculum designer for the e-learning platform, Lido Learning as well as a Lecturer in the UG English Studies programme at Royal Thimphu College. She has also contributed literary articles and book reviews for the online magazines: The Curious Reader and The Seer.

Alongside her PhD, she worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for two years, teaching the Critical Practice module for 2nd year UG English and Related Literature students at University of York. Currently, she is working part-time as a Marketing Assistant at York Theatre Royal until the end of May 2024.