Dr. Katherine Bowers

Associate Professor

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Biography

Katherine Bowers is an Associate Professor in the Department of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies at the University of British Columbia. She specializes in Slavic Languages and Literatures, focusing on Russophone literature and culture, genre, narrative, and environmental humanities. Bowers has directed the Centre for European Studies and has been a visiting fellow at prestigious institutions including the University of St Andrews and Clare Hall, Cambridge. Her recent monograph, "Writing Fear: Russian Realism Gothic" (2022), received recognition as an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice and contributes to discussions on narrative techniques in 19th-century Russian literature. Bowers co-edited significant volumes including the "Oxford Handbook of Global Realisms" (2025) and has published numerous articles in respected journals. She actively participates in Dostoevsky studies, contributing to various collaborative projects and serving as Vice-President of the North American Dostoevsky Society. Her engaging scholarship has earned her several awards, including a Killam Faculty Research Fellowship at UBC and the Irwin Weil Award for Excellence in Teaching at Northwestern University.

Research Interests

Awards

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Visiting Fellowship

2023-01-01
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International Dostoevsky Society Award

2023-01-01
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British Academy Visiting Fellowship

2023-01-01
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Killam Faculty Research Fellowship

2023-01-01
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Faculty Public Engagement Award

2022-01-01
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Public Humanities Faculty Fellowship

2021-01-01
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Wall Scholar Research Award

2019-01-01
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Leading Scholar

2015-01-01
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Research Fellowship

2012-01-01
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Irwin Weil Award for Excellence in Teaching

2011-01-01
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Presidential Fellowship

2009-01-01

Courses

CENS 201 Magic Tales CENS 202 Science Fiction SLAV 340A/RUSS 306A The 19th-Century Russian Novel SLAV 340B/RUSS 306B 20th-21st-Century Russophone Literature SLAV 346A/RUSS 321A Petersburg: Empire, Text, Cityscape SLAV 346B/RUSS 321B Imagining Siberia SLAV 347A/RUSS 323A Russian Soviet Science Fiction SLAV 421A/RUSS 410A Russophone Women Writers SLAV 448/RUSS 412 Dostoevsky GMST 531A/IEST 505A Multilingual Digital Humanities

Requirements for University of British Columbia

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6.5
Reading
Required:6.5
Writing
Required:6.5
Speaking
Required:6.5
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:22
Writing
Required:21
Speaking
Required:21
Total
Required:100
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Philosophy or related field 3 credits in formal logic 6 credits at the upper level in history of philosophy 3 credits at the upper level in ethics or value theory 6 credits at the upper level in metaphysics, epistemology, or philosophy of science
Application Checklist
  • Online application form
  • Application fee
  • Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Writing sample (15-20 pages)
  • Statement of intent
  • Evidence of English language proficiency
Specialization Notes

Offers course-only and thesis routes. Focus areas include philosophy of science, mind, ethics, and Asian philosophy.