Malc: Voice and Identity in Autofiction
Lead Research Organisation:
Northumbria University
Department Name: Fac of Arts, Design and Social Sciences
Abstract
Research Questions:
1. What is the relationship between life writing and fiction?
2. When does the memoirist become a fictional protagonist?
3. How can voice be used in autofiction to explore identity?
My main output for this PhD will be an 80,000 word creative work of autofiction (a form of autobiographical fiction coined by Doubrovsky ), supported by a thesis of around 30,000 words. The thesis will explore the contemporary idea of autofiction and examine the relationship between truth and fiction in the work of Rachel Cusk, Frank McCourt and Will Self. Their work will be compared with that of progenitors of the form to define and contextualise the relatively modern genre of autofiction, and later, to explore their writing in terms of the research questions above.
1. What is the relationship between life writing and fiction?
2. When does the memoirist become a fictional protagonist?
3. How can voice be used in autofiction to explore identity?
My main output for this PhD will be an 80,000 word creative work of autofiction (a form of autobiographical fiction coined by Doubrovsky ), supported by a thesis of around 30,000 words. The thesis will explore the contemporary idea of autofiction and examine the relationship between truth and fiction in the work of Rachel Cusk, Frank McCourt and Will Self. Their work will be compared with that of progenitors of the form to define and contextualise the relatively modern genre of autofiction, and later, to explore their writing in terms of the research questions above.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Andrew Crumey (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Shaun Wilson (Student) |