Rai began her PhD at Loughborough University in October 2021, having accepted a fully funded research studentship from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities in the Department of English. Through practice-led research, Rai is exploring female monstrosity in Young Adult Fiction and Popular Culture. Her project is supervised by Dr Sara Read and Dr Catie Gill.
In 2020, Rai completed an MA in Creative Writing at the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University. During her MA, Rai also published work as a freelance music journalist and a health and lifestyle writer for a number of national magazines.
Rai also received a BA in English and Creative Writing from the University of Salford. During her time at Salford, she wrote and performed in a play based on her real-life experiences of being hospitalised. She also worked on the university newspaper and published her first novel.
PhD title: ‘Menarche, Monstrosity, and Magic: Destigmatising Menstruation in Gothic Young Adult Literature and Popular Culture’.
Rai’s practice-led research centres around the link between menstruation and female power. It will also examine the reasons why women are so often demonised and turned into monsters. Her research will look at the challenges of writing about menstruation and supernatural power without creating further stigma.