My name is Hannah Grayson, and I’m a lecturer in French and Francophone Studies at the University of Stirling.
My research examines textual responses to violence and instability in the French-speaking world. Primarily this work is concerned with how writers of fiction explore the contexts and aftermaths of different kinds of extreme events (like colonialism, dictatorship and epidemics). I am especially interested in depictions of survival, and how we might understand notions of vulnerability and strength against pervasive discourses of resilience. These questions come together in my current project on débrouillardise (a kind of expertise) in postcolonial novels. The other main branch of my research is in written testimonies. I study personal stories that emerge from experiences of disaster and the process of constructing those narratives in its wake.
On this blog you will find updates about my research, as well as links to other related projects and events.