Professor Hugh Dunkerley
Professor of Literature and Environment
About
I am Professor of Literature and Environment. I lead the MA in Creative Writing and teach on a range of undergraduate Creative Writing modules. My interests include contemporary poetry, ecocriticism and the teaching of Creative Writing.
I also run a third year option entitled Writing, Environment and Ecocriticism. Ecocriticism is the study of representations of nature in literature, and is based on the assumption that we live and write in a more-than-human world. I first became interested in environmentalism when I worked in conservation in the mid nineteen-eighties and am now trying to get the outdoors into the classroom. I am keen to work with postgraduate students who have an interest in ecocriticism.
My teaching reflects my research interests. My latest poetry collection, entitled Kin, was published by Cinnamon Press in 2019. I also publish short fiction. In addition to writing poetry and short fiction, I write articles on contemporary poetry and ecocriticism, as well as reviewing for various magazines such as The London Magazine and Envoi.
I am keen to promote Sustainability in the curriculum and to encourage students to engage with issues of environmental, social and economic sustainability through their learning.
Key Publications
Creative
Poems and short fiction in The London Magazine, Irish Pages, The Echo Room and The Clearing (https://www.littletoller.co.uk/the-clearing/)
2019 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Poems in The Guardian and The London Magazine
2019 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kin, Poetry Collection (Cinnamon Press)
2017               ‘Bear Country’ (short story published in The London Magazine)
2010 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hare, Poetry Collection (Cinnamon Press)
Critical
2019              ‘Religious Poetry 1960-2010’ (chapter in The Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Poetry (Wiley-Blackwell, forthcoming)
2018               ‘Some Thoughts on Poetry and Fracking’ published in Irish Pages
2018               ‘Deep Time: Hugh Dunkerley discusses the work of Don McKay’ (Envoi)
2018               ‘Ted Hughes and Creative Writing’ (chapter in Ted Hughes in Context (Cambridge University Press)
2017               ‘Ted Hughes and The Ecological Sublime’ in The Ted Hughes Society Journal
National and International Recognition:
2019Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Appearances at The Bradford Literature Festival and The Bodmin Poetry Festival
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Appearance at The Hay International Festival
2016Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Winner of the 2016 INSPIRE/ASLE UKI Literature and Sustainability Public Lecture Competition
2015              Arts Council Award of £6300
2009              Arts Council Award of £4000
2007              Invitation to read at Cuisle International Poetry Festival, Limerick, Ireland
2002              Arts Council award of £3000
2002Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Leighton Fellow at The Banff Centre for the Arts (Canada)
1999Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hawthornden Fellow
1992Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gregory Award winner (Society of Authors)
Research Output
Articles
Dunkerley, H. (2025) The poetics of deep time. Green Letters. pp. 1-7. ISSN 1468-8417 10.1080/14688417.2025.2471277
Dunkerley, H. (2019) Nightmare Ground. The London Magazine. pp. 98-99. ISSN 0024-6085
Dunkerley, H. (2019) Widow. The London Magazine. p. 100. ISSN 0024-6085
Dunkerley, H. (2019) Submarine Graveyard. The London Magazine. pp. 70-71. ISSN 0024-6085
Dunkerley, H. (2018) Some Thoughts on Poetry and Fracking. Irish Pages, 10 (1). pp. 146-154.
Dunkerley, H. (2017) Ted Hughes and The Ecological Sublime. The Ted Hughes Society Journal, VI (I). pp. 19-27.
Dunkerley, H. (2017) Bear Country. The London Magazine, Feb17. pp. 10-18. ISSN 0024-6085
Dunkerley, H. (2014) The Retreat. Interdisciplinary Studies and the Environment, 21 (1). p. 84. ISSN 1076-0962 10.1093/isle/isu017
Dunkerley, H. (2014) Ant and Desire Paths. The Clearing.
Dunkerley, H. (2013) Madonna and child. The London Magazine. ISSN 0024-6085
Dunkerley, H. (2013) Postcolonialism for Beginners. The London Magazine. pp. 57-70. ISSN 0024-6085
Dunkerley, H. (2012) Dread. The London Magazine. p. 73. ISSN 0024-6085
Dunkerley, H. (2011) Three poems. Irish Pages: A Journal of Contemporary Writing, 2 (2). pp. 92-96.
Dunkerley, H. (2010) Poetry and sustainability. Bringing the Outside In: Enriching Student Learning in the Humanities through Environmental Engagement. pp. 21-22.
Dunkerley, H. (2001) Unnatural relations? Language and nature in the poetry of Mark Doty and Les Murray. ISLE (Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment), 8 (1). pp. 73-82. ISSN 1076-0962 10.1093/isle/8.1.73
Book Sections
Dunkerley, H. (2020) Religious Poetry 1960-2015. In: A Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Poetry, 1960-2015. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford. ISBN 9781118843208
Dunkerley, H. (2018) Hughes and Creative Writing. In: Ted Hughes in Context. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 315-324. ISBN 9781108425551 10.1017/9781108554381
Dunkerley, H. (2015) Crab Hunting at Menai. In: Underneath: the University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize. Axon Element, Canberra: Australia. ISBN 9781740884273 (e-book)
Dunkerley, H. (2012) Translating wilderness: The poetry of Don McKay. In: Poetry and Voice: A Book of Essays. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Cambridge. ISBN 9781443841092
Conference or Workshop Items
Dunkerley, H. (2016) Some Thoughts on Poetry and Fracking. In: Some Thoughts on Poetry and Fracking, June 2nd, 2016, Hay International Festival. (Submitted)
Books
Dunkerley, H. (2019) Kin. Cinnamon Press, Blaenau Ffestiniog. ISBN 9781788640176
Dunkerley, H. (2010) Hare. Cinnamon Press, Gwynedd, Wales. ISBN 9781907090080
Dunkerley, H. and Wheeler, W. (2008) Earthographies: Ecocriticism and Culture. New Formations, 64 . Lawrence & Wishart Ltd, London, UK. ISBN 9781905007783
Theses
Dunkerley, H. (2008) Poetry as via negativa: a creative enquiry. Doctoral theses, University of Southampton; University of Chichester.
Artefacts
Dunkerley, H. (2019) Referendum. [Artefacts]
Dunkerley, H. (2015) Self Portrait as a Francis Bacon. [Artefacts]
Dunkerley, H. (2014) 2014 Two poems ‘Coming Home’ and ‘The Eel’ in The Echo Room. [Artefacts]
Other
Dunkerley, H. (2024) Eyass. The London Magazine, London.
Dunkerley, H. (2024) Mother/Son. The London Magazine, London.
Dunkerley, H. (2023) The uses of beauty. The London Magazine, London.
Dunkerley, H. (2022) Attenborough, of course. The Poetry Society, London. 9781911046349 0032-2156
Other department members
Alison MacLeod
Visiting Professor in Creative Writing
