Dr. Anastasia Valassopoulos

Biography

Anastasia Valassopoulos is a Professor of Postcolonial Literatures and Cultures at the University of Manchester. Her research focuses on postcolonial literature and culture, particularly relating to the Middle East and North Africa. She has a keen interest in the cultural production and reception of Arab women's film and music, and has published extensively on figures such as Moufida Tlatli and Umm Kulthum. Throughout her career, Valassopoulos has explored the impact of Arab cinema since the 1960s and 70s, with special attention to national cinemas and revolutionary cinema, notably in relation to the PLO and Arab diaspora. Her notable works include a book on Contemporary Arab Women Writers and various articles discussing Tunisian film and the contributions of writers like Nawal el-Saadawi and Ahdaf Soueif. She has edited special issues in journals such as Feminist Theory and Journal Postcolonial Writing, as well as a collection examining Edward Said's views on popular culture. Currently, Valassopoulos is a British Academy Senior Research Fellow working on the project 'Palestine Popular Imagination' and is engaged in supervising students on topics relating to Arab writing and postcolonial studies.

Research Interests