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Ellen Smith is a cultural historian specializing in modern Britain and the British Empire, particularly colonial South Asia during the 19th and 20th centuries. She obtained her PhD in July 2023, supported by an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) doctoral award. Her research investigates the rich experiences of cultural productions among British and 'Anglo-Indian' families, revealing extensive communication networks that connected British families to their experiences in South Asia, primarily British India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). As a Simon Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, Smith explores the connections between British imperialism and the formation of historical consciousness through the lens of family archives. Her work offers an inclusive narrative on the legacies of British imperialism in relation to national identity and citizenship. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals on topics such as imperial identity and the material lives of letters during the Indian Rebellion. Smith previously held an Economic and Social Research Council (UKRI) funded postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Bristol and has also worked as a research assistant on historical projects related to South Asian networks. She has contributed to teaching modules in British colonial histories and sex and gender studies at notable universities, including the University of Bristol and the University of Leicester.
University of Bristol • Bristol, UK
Conducting research on British colonial histories and related topics.
Queen Mary University of London • London, UK
Assisting in the 'Remaking Britain: South Asian Connections Networks' project.
University of Leicester • Leicester, UK
Teaching modules related to British social history.
Includes MSc in Advanced Electrical Power Systems and MSc in Communications and Signal Processing.