Dr. Susan Birkwood

Biography

Susan Birkwood is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Carleton University. Her research primarily explores Indigenous Canadian literatures and nineteenth-century British literature, with a focus on historical and travel narratives. Birkwood's doctoral dissertation critically examined late eighteenth to early nineteenth-century exploration travel accounts in Canada, emphasizing the representation of Indigenous peoples through the lens of settler-invader society and the impact of governmental policies. Her work integrates theories of social development, genre conventions, and the intersection of literature with economic and historical contexts, as articulated in the Scottish Enlightenment's four-stage progression from savagery to civilization. Birkwood's current research interests extend to the ways contemporary Canadian authors engage with colonial histories through speculative fiction. She is noted for analyzing the complexities of identity, representation, and the narrative techniques employed within historical novels, contributing to the discourse on Indigenous Canadian realities.

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Awards