Dr Vanessa Harbour - PhD in Creative Writing 

 

Faculty of Arts 

Email:

vanessa.harbour@winchester.ac.uk 

Phone:

+44 (0) 1962 827549 

Address:

Biography

Vanessa Harbour has completed her PhD in Creative Writing and looked into the problems of depicting sex, drugs and alcohol in British contemporary young adult fiction.

“I have loved every minute of my PhD but that’s probably because I’m passionate about the subject that I’m studying,” explains Vanessa who also works as a part-time lecturer at Winchester. “My PhD has given me confidence in my own work, in particular my creative writing and I’ve just completed Ham and Jam, a piece of contemporary realism aimed at young adults.

“The critical aspect of my PhD has involved me researching how the representation of drugs, sex and alcohol has changed since Melvin Burgess’s book Junk was published in 1996 which was the first book aimed at teenagers that dealt specifically with drugs. My research has been able to highlight a definite movement in the way drugs and sex are represented.

“My views are respected by my tutors here who are extremely supportive and encouraging. I co-wrote a chapter on drugs in children’s literature with my Director of Studies for Drugs and Popular Culture (Willan Publishing 2007) and have presented academic papers both within the USA and in the UK.

“I am also a Co-editor of the ejournal write4children which I helped to set up along with the University’s support. The journal has now become world renowned and has allowed me to come into contact with wonderful people, including some very successful authors who have supported me and the journal whole heartedly.”