My PhD research explores the intersections of celebrity and the Gothic in contemporary literature, media, and popular culture, with roots in the nineteenth century. My thesis identifies an extensive literary and cultural tradition in which texts and celebrities use Gothic to reflect upon celebrity culture. These Gothic celebrities form dialogues with Gothic texts by producing, starring in, or inspiring them, and self-consciously construct images that can be described as Gothic. Texts within this tradition use established Gothic conventions of vampirism, decaying portraits, and ageing bodies to engage with themes of mortality and immortality surrounding the figure of the celebrity in various modern ages, ranging from the Regency to the post-Millennium. My thesis argues that mortality and immortality are central to the representation of celebrity in Gothic narratives, which reveals that discourses of Gothic and celebrity are continually used as vehicles for exploring how modern Western culture deals with ageing.

My current research interests include: contemporary Gothic literature and media, particularly vampires; celebrity studies; the actress; Andy Warhol and the 1960s. 

I have taught modules in English Literature, Media and Cultural Studies and History. These include:

ENGL100: English Literature

ENGL371: Victorian Gothic

ENGL301: Dissertation

ENGL419: Research Methodologies

MCS200: Media and Cultural Theory

HIST100: From Ancient to Modern: History and Historians

I completed my BA in English at the University of Exeter (2014) before undertaking an MA in English Literary Studies at Lancaster University (2015), where I am currently studying for a PhD.

Contact me: h.fletcher1@lancaster.ac.uk