Dr Caroline Cauchi
| Post Nominals | FHEA |
|---|---|
| Biography | Dr Caroline Cauchi is an academic and international bestselling author. She writes both historical fiction and experimental fiction (also known as Caroline Smailes). Her acclaimed debut novel, ‘In Search of Adam’, was published in 2007. Since then Caroline has written nine additional novels (including one with eleven endings!), a short story collection, two novellas and a libretto. All of her creative work explores place and the search for identity. The feature film of her novel ‘The Drowning of Arthur Braxton’ premiered at Raindance Film Festival in November 2021, where it was awarded Best UK Feature. Caroline’s debut historical novel, ‘Mrs Van Gogh’ (HarperCollins), was published in the UK and internationally in 2023. It was a bestseller in several territories and was selected as a 'Heather's Pick' read in Canada (2023). Her latest novel, 'The Woman Who Went Over Niagara Falls in a Barrel', was published in the UK (HarperCollins) in October 2024, and as 'Queen of the Mist' in the US (HarperCollinsUS) and Canada (HarperCollinsCanada). |
| Research Interests | Dr Caroline Cauchi's current academic research combines creative practice and critical inquiry, focusing on the ethical dimensions of narrative representation and the recovery of silenced voices in history. Through her creative work—novels that reimagine the lives of women involved in creative pursuits, such as the visual arts—she explores how these women, often overshadowed by more prominent male figures, have been rendered invisible in historical narratives. This complements Dr Cauchi's critical research into how women in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries were key contributors to modernist movements, despite their exclusion from mainstream histories. Her research interrogates female agency in these movements and examines what is needed to bring their stories to the fore. Additionally, Dr Cauchi's research delves into the ethical responsibilities of writers portraying real lives in fiction and non-fiction. Through projects like 'Ethics in Ink: Navigating the Moral Terrain of Writing About Real Lives', she explores themes such as cultural appropriation, othering, and the challenges of representing trauma and marginalised identities, emphasising how creative storytelling can foster empathy and challenge dominant discourses. |
| PhD Supervision Availability | Yes |
| PhD Topics | Caroline welcomes applications in practice-led PhDs in fiction (novel, short story and creative non-fiction). Her specific areas of interest and expertise are: Feminist scholarship Historical narratives Ethics of storytelling Narrative innovation UK publishing Novel writing Short story writing Novel to film adaptation Writing experimental fiction Writing historical fiction Adaptation and retelling Ethical responsibility of fictionalising real lives Herstory |