Olivia Vázquez-Medina

Associate Professor, Fellow and Tutor in Spanish, Wadham College 
 
I teach Spanish American literature from the nineteenth century to the present day, as well as Spanish language and translation. My research centres on modern and contemporary Spanish American fiction, with a particular interest in eco-criticism, affect, and emotion. I have also worked on historical fiction – which was the subject of my doctoral work and first book— and on representations of illness in modern and contemporary fiction.  
 
My current project investigates how contemporary female writers respond to critical issues of the present –such as environmental degradation, social inequality, and gender violence— by exploring novel forms of storytelling. Beyond ‘representing’ such issues, I argue, these texts push against the limits of realism whilst staging unexpected interactions between plot and style that compel the reader to engage with uncertainty and discomfort at multiple levels. In this way, they interrogate our unexamined notions of normality, and intervene in the debate about the agency of literature in our times.   
 
More information on my research can be found here.