Portfolio

Academic Research

I am a practice-led researcher bridging creative expression with critical inquiry. My work explores life writing, fragmented narratives, memory studies, and visual culture through Photo-Sketching[1]—a method that arranges disconnected moments to create meaning through juxtaposition and absence.

My PhD[2] examines experimental memoirs and the intersections of personal and collective histories. I explore identity, migration, and memory through fragmentation, drawing from literature, sociology, and media studies. My work investigates how non-linear storytelling challenges traditional modes of life writing.

Talks on Creative Nonfiction & Media

I have delivered academic talks and presentations on storytelling, creative nonfiction, and interdisciplinary research. These lectures explore fragmented narratives, media theory, visual culture, and identity formation.

Selected Presentations

  • How I Started My Own Boutique Publishing Operation.
    York St. John University, Research Active Workshop (RAW), April 2023.
    A reflection on the creative and academic intersections of independent publishing, drawing from my experience founding Analog Submission Press.

  • Writing a Hybrid Memoir.
    York St. John University, Research Active Workshop (RAW), December 2022.
    A practice-led approach to hybrid memoirs that blend autofiction, life writing, and fragmented storytelling.

  • Notes on the Fragment: A Fragmentary Approach to Life Writing.
    York St. John University, Research Active Workshop (RAW), April 2022.
    Advocating for fragmentation as a valid structure in memoir writing, drawing on creative practice and postmodern literary techniques.

  • States of Drift: Applying Guy Debord’s Dérive to Life Writing.
    York St. John University, Research Active Workshop (RAW), March 2022.
    Examining psychogeography and memory using Debord’s dérive as a method for exploring identity and place.

  • Photography and Life Writing.
    York St. John University, Eat. Sleep. Research. Repeat Conference, October 2021.
    Demonstrating how private photography and fragmented narratives intersect in the practice of visual literary storytelling.

Creative Nonfiction Writing

Much of my writing explores identity, memory, and cultural displacement, shaped by my upbringing in South Africa during apartheid’s final years and my experiences of migration and travel. My autofictional works challenge traditional storytelling structures, blending personal and collective histories.

In addition to literary writing, I publish media and cultural analysis essays on Semiotic Drift, examining film, literature, and theory through the lens of memory and digital culture.

Current Book Projects

  • A South African Childhood (working title)
    An autofictional memoir exploring family, postcolonial identity, and cultural memory, structured through fragmentation and non-linear storytelling.

  • Notes from the Road (working title)
    A travel memoir reflecting on dislocation, self-exploration, and the search for belonging across Russia, Mongolia, China, Southeast Asia, and India.

Teaching Experience

I am an educator and university lecturer, specialising in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Media Studies. My teaching philosophy blends academic rigour with accessibility, encouraging students to critically engage with narrative, identity, and media culture.

I integrate research and creative practice in my courses, using Photo-Sketching as a tool for exploring fragmented identities, postcolonial perspectives, and alternative storytelling structures.

University Courses I Have Taught

English Literature & Creative Writing

Courses exploring narrative structures, literary theory, and creative expression.

  • Forms of Narrative
    Examines storytelling mechanics across novels, poetry, drama, and film, with a focus on non-linear and experimental narratives.
  • Introduction to Literary Studies
    A foundation in literary analysis, engaging with historical, theoretical, and contemporary perspectives.
  • Personal Development Sessions
    A skills-based course blending academic writing, creative expression, and narrative development.

Media Studies

Courses exploring digital culture, media theory, and identity construction.

  • Research in Practice
    Develops critical thinking, media research methodologies, and interdisciplinary analysis.
  • Mediated Identities
    Investigates how media constructs identity through the lenses of race, gender, class, and cultural representation.
  • Life Online
    A critical exploration of digital spaces, participatory culture, and transmedia storytelling.

Student Testimonials on Teaching & Learning

Hearing from students is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching. Here’s what they say:

“Thanks to you, I have transformed from a shy duckling to a brash swan. Your guidance helped me develop an academic voice and excel in my assignments.”

“Your encouragement inspired me to write haikus and poems I never thought I could create.”

“You are more in touch with us students than many other lecturers I have interacted with.”

These testimonials reflect my commitment to fostering confidence, critical thinking, and creativity while supporting students in developing their own distinct academic and creative voices.

Creative & Academic Projects

Analog Submission Press

Founded in 2017, Analog Submission Press is a guerrilla publisher inspired by the DIY ethos of punk rock. The press prioritises bold, original voices over homogenised literary trends, specialising in transgressive writing and experimental literature.

Each publication is handcrafted—printed on recycled paper, hand-trimmed, folded, and numbered in limited runs. Since its founding, the press has published over 160 titles, amplifying marginalised voices and supporting the literary underground.

  1. Photo-Sketching is a narrative technique that constructs fragmented stories inspired by photographs. Instead of direct description, photo-sketching arranges disconnected moments, creating meaning through juxtaposition, absence, and negative space. ↩︎

  2. My PhD thesis, Cape Town/International: The Preparation of a Memoir, explores experimental memoir and fragmentation in life writing. Read the abstract here ↩︎