James Underwood

James Underwood is Lecturer in English Literature. He joined the University of Huddersfield in 2016 as Research Fellow in Modern and Contemporary Literature, having previously taught at the University of Hull and Bishop Grosseteste University. With Dr Steve Ely, he is responsible for developing the Ted Hughes Network, a major university initiative which seeks to become a centre of excellence for Hughes-related research, teaching, creativity, and public engagement. 

James is the recipient of a British Academy Rising Star Engagement Award for 2017-18. This award funds a 12-month project, ‘Literature and the Reading Public: Challenges and Opportunities’, which explores issues and ideas relevant to literary studies and public engagement. The project will provide training for a number of Early Career Researchers.

James is a Director of The Elmet Trust, a charity dedicated to promoting the birthplace and legacy of Ted Hughes. He is also Secretary of the Ted Hughes Yorkshire Literary and Heritage Trail Consortium. 

Qualifications:

2015    PhD, University of Hull

2012    MA Modern & Contemporary Literature, University of Hull

2011    BA English Literature, University of Durham

• Twentieth-century poetry, particularly the work of Philip Larkin and Ted Hughes
• Literary biography / literature and biography / literature as biography
• Poets’ letters / poetry and letter-writing