Dr Laurie Johnson

I teach English literature and cultural studies because I believe in the value of students learning how to think, rather than being told what to think. By equipping students to look for exciting new ways to approach great books and films, I see myself as an educator of socially responsible and critically responsive members of the community.

Most importantly, I want my students to remember their studies as challenging and enjoyable: learning should be fun.

My publications cover a range of fields from Ethics to Psychoanalysis, but my latest work is in Shakespeare and Early Modern Studies.

I adore Shakespeare’s plays but I don’t buy into the idea that his work is timeless and universal. I use a textually-evidenced cultural history of Shakespeare’s theatre to try to 'unthink' what we supposedly know about the plays and what they mean.

The same principles underpin my teaching. By engaging with long-standing debates, students learn to consider multiple perspectives, but courses in English Literature take them further. By learning how to ask questions about great works of the past and present, students develop critical literacy skills that will enhance their capacity for learning long after they complete their formal studies.