Doctoral Grant in Children's Literature at the University of Antwerp

Doctoral Grant (BOF), British Children's Literature - 2018BAPDOCPROEX227

The Faculty of Arts is seeking to fill a full-time (100%) vacancy in the Department of Literature for a Doctoral Grant by the University Research Fund (BOF) in the area of British Children’s Literature.

The doctoral student will contribute to the research project “Constructing Adolescent Minds in Experimental Fiction for Young Readers: A Genetic Approach to Aidan Chambers’ Dance series,” supervised by Vanessa Joosen and Dirk Van Hulle. In this project, theoretically framed and in-depth genetic research is used to explore the construction of adolescence in Aidan Chambers’ writing process. Selected items from his archive are transcribed, digitized and studied in Manuscript Web in order to get a better understanding of the creative processes of adolescent fiction, in particular the notion of “age” that ties into it on various levels (authorship, character construction, readership). The project will also yield practice-based methodological reflections on doing genetic research with a living author, as well as an educational manual to popularize the research methods and results.

Research group: Antwerp Centre for Digital Humanities and Literary Criticism

Job description

• You prepare a doctoral thesis in the field of Literary Studies.
• You publish scientific articles related to the research project of the assignment.
• You contribute to teaching and research in the department of Literature, specifically on children’s literature, British literature and genetic literary criticism.

Profile and requirements

• You hold a master degree in English literature or an equivalent degree.
• You can submit outstanding academic results.
• Students in the final year of their degree can also apply.
• Foreign candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Your academic qualities comply with the requirements stipulated in the university’s policy.
• You are quality-oriented, conscientious, creative and cooperative.
• You have a demonstrable interest in children’s literature and/or genetic literary criticism. You are interested in doing archival research and digital scholarly editing.

We offer

• a doctoral scholarship for a period of two years, with the possibility of renewal for a further two-year period after positive evaluation;
• the starting date of the scholarship will be October 1, November 1, or December 1, 2018 or January 1, 2019;
• a gross monthly grant ranging from € 2.324,20 tot € 2.469,08;
• a dynamic and stimulating work environment.

How to apply?

Applications may only be submitted online until the closing date 12 August 2018 and should include a copy of your CV and a cover letter. Pre-selected candidates will be notified by 23 August and receive an assignment. Interviews will take place on 31 August 2018. More information about the application form can be obtained from vacatures@uantwerpen.be. For questions about the profile and the description of duties, please contact Prof. Vanessa Joosen, +32 3 265 42 72, vanessa.joosen@uantwerpen.be.