Ciara McAllister

My PhD project takes an intersectional approach to the drama and fiction of the 'Troubles' (1968-98) in order to better understand the relationship between gender, class and ethnonational identity in Northern writing. Taking a comparative approach to the novel and theatre, it seeks to identify tropes and stereotypes of the working class in this period and how different literary forms and genres can be adopted as a form of resistance. Drawing upon a range of methodological approaches from literary studies, performance studies and gender studies, my research examines the significance of form and intended audiences in the representation of the working class in the North of Ireland. 

I graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Drama and English from Queen's in 2016 and was awarded a scholarship to undertake my Master's Degree at University College Dublin in Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama. My MA dissertation was entitled "Gendering the Workers: Representations of Gender among the Working Class in the 'Troubles’ Dramas of Martin Lynch and Christina Reid". I graduated first in my cohort in 2019.

My PhD is funded by the AHRC, through the Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership.

Gender, Class, Feminism, Working-Class Literature, Irish Literature, Irish Drama, Community Theatre

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and have taught on ENG2061: Fiction and the Novel, 1660-1820, for three years.

Prior to this, I was a learning development assistant at Queen's Learning Development Service.

Before coming to Queen's, I taught Level 1 and Level 2 English and academic skills at a Further Education College in Birmingham, and worked as a study skills coach for students with disabilities at Belfast Metropolitan College.

I am actively involved in promoting a positive research culture for PhD students at Queen's. I am on the steering committee of the Arts, English and Languages Student Research Network, organising social and research activities for PGRs in the school, and was cohort representative for Northern Bridge students in 2021/2022. I have acted as a peer mentor to new PhD students and am the postgraduate representative for the University and College Union (UCU).

I founded the postgraduate podcast QUB Voices in summer 2020 and acted as executive producer, overseeing a team of 11 where I managed content and technical production, social media, outreach and engagement. I was awarded a grant from Queen's Graduate School to facilitate this and nominated for the "Celebrating Innovative Online Activites" category in the Students' Unions Awards in 2021.

Please direct any queries to cmcallister42@qub.ac.uk