The contemporary moment is one in which Generation Z (those born between the mid-1990s and mid 2010s) are experiencing a coming of age defined by global crisis; our transition to adulthood is shaped by post-pandemic workplaces and relationships, and unprecedented rates of depression and anxiety. We are dealing with twenty-first century illnesses, ecological peril, financial instability, and complex new systems of social interaction.
Through interrelated elements, this creative writing PhD aims to examine how autofiction is uniquely positioned to investigate these challenges. Exploring the intensified experience of coming of age in a space of crisis, I look at how autofiction can both capture the Gen Z experience and connect readers to large scale societal themes through personal narrative.
I initially began university as a design student in the Sam Fox School of Art and Design within Washington University in St. Louis, before transferring to English Literature with a Creative Writing Focus in my sophomore year. I graduated WashU in 2020 and taught preschool between 2020 and 2021. Thereafter, I began my Creative Writing MFA at Kingston University. In autumn of 2024 I began my PhD. Outside of academics, I am deeply involved in women's football in the UK as a coach and a player. My artistic and academic practices are often influence by my sporting background and vice versa.