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Nathaniel began his PhD at Loughborough University in January 2025. His thesis “Strange Selves: Exploring the Intersection of the Weird and Construction of Identity in Daphne Du Maurier’s Fiction” explores the recent resurgence of academic interest in Daphne Du Maurier, focusing on how the usage of ‘weird’ has been theorised by critics over time and context and how Du Maurier utilises this in her works. In 2022 Nathaniel graduated from the University of Derby with an MA in Publishing. His research focused on inequalities within the publishing industry, paying particular interest in inequalities faced by working class, disabled, and/or transgender employees and hopefuls.
Shortly afterwards, Nathaniel worked with Felicity Bryan Associates, a literary agency whose mentorship scheme aims to help people from underrepresented backgrounds enter the publishing industry. Nathaniel also received a BA in English Literature and Film Studies from De Montfort University in 2019. His dissertation focused on the representation of working class masculinity in Thatcher’s Britian on film.
Supervisors: Dr Nick Freeman, Dr Claire O'Callaghan
Nathaniel’s thesis aims to explore the weird in the fiction of Daphne du Maurier, including exploring definitions of the weird and how it applies to Du Maurier’s fiction. The current vision for the project is to explore how the usage of the word ‘weird’ has been theorised by critics over time and context and how Du Maurier utilises this in her works. He will look at all her fictional works in chronological order of date published to determine how the weird is reflected in her work and seeing what preoccupations she was focused on as she progressed through her writing career and developed her own voice and style.
The project will be divided into chapters based on the findings from the chronological readings. For example, preoccupations with the supernatural, foreigners, and subverting gender norms. Each chapter will explore how she applies these preoccupations to the weird, what it means for the narrative and the characters, and how it influences them both.