Professor Dr. Katarina Leppänen

Biography

Katarina Leppänen is a Professor at the University of Gothenburg specializing in History and Ideas/Intellectual History. Her current research project is a monograph titled "The Soft Power Cultural Diplomacy: Literature Politics Lives Aino Kallas, Hella Wuolijoki, Elin Wägner c. 1900–1950". She has previously held positions at Åbo Akademi University in Finland and Uppsala University, contributing significantly to the field of Gender Studies. Leppänen has been involved in a large research program called “Cosmopolitan Vernacular Dynamics World Literatures” led by Stefan Helgesson at Stockholm University. Her research encompasses a range of topics, including gender ecology, nationalism, and the intersections between gender and internationalism. She has published extensively on ecocriticism, gender representation, and the historical impact of feminist movements in Europe. Her work has also focused on the role of women's writing and its influence on contemporary discussions surrounding identity, environment, and politics in Nordic countries. Leppänen has edited several publications and has been a proactive member of editorial boards for journals such as Lychnos and Nordic Gender Studies.

Research Interests