Tonya Blowers
I’m a teacher, writer and editor with over twenty years’ varied experience of lecturing and researching in universities, further education colleges and schools. Trained as a post-graduate researcher in literature at the University of Warwick, I was Lecturer in English Studies at Oxford Brookes University for three years before taking time out to raise a young family. Consequently I set up Wordplay, offering workshops in creative writing. In addition in 2005 I was Visiting Lecturer in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway College (University of London), responsible for the Masters course ‘Reading As A Writer’ (the programme director is poet laureate Andrew Motion).
From January 2006 – 8 I was a tutor in creative writing at the much-loved Mary Ward Centre in Bloomsbury, central London, and from Jan 2008-9 I was a lecturer in journalism at Huron University (also Bloomsbury, Central London) .
I also work as an independent editor, reading and commenting on the manuscripts of novels, including the acclaimed Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther, published in 2006 by Little Brown and Among Thieves by Mez Packer Tindall Street Press, 2009.
I am currently completing a novel and a collection of short stories. Watch this space!
QUALIFICATIONS
1994-1998 PhD in Literature
Autobiography as theory and practice, with particular reference to the writings of Janet Frame
University of Warwick
Supervisor: Carolyn Steedman (Warwick)
Externals: Laura Marcus (Sussex); Rod Edmond (Kent)
1988-1990 Master of Arts in Literatures in English Awarded Distinction
Historical and Sexual Marginalisation in the novels of Toni Morrison, Jean Rhys and Keri Hulme
Marlboro College, Vermont, USA Supervisor: Jay Birje-Patil (Marlboro)
External: Neil Lazarus (Brown)
1985-1988 B.Soc.Sc. in Sociology with Social Administration
University of Warwick (Class 2:1)
TEACHING QUALIFICATIONS
1998-2000 Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (SEDA accredited)
Centre for Student Learning and Development, Oxford Brookes
1991 Certificate in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language to Adults
The British School, Udine, Italy
EMPLOYMENT
Sep 04- present Director, Wordplay Creative Writing Courses, Acton, West London
Sep 07-Dec 08 Lecturer in Journalism, Huorn University
Jan 2006-8 Tutor in creative writing, Mary Ward Centre
Jan – Mar 2005 Visiting Lecturer in Creative Writing, Royal Holloway College,
University of London
1998- 2000 Full-time Lecturer in English Studies, Oxford Brookes University
1994-1995 Part-time Lecturer in Cultural Studies, University of Warwick
1993- 1994 Tutor-Counsellor, Arts Foundation Course, Open University, Italy
1990- 1994 English Language Teacher, The British School of Trieste, Italy
1988- 1989 Clear Writing Tutor, Marlboro College, Vermont, USA
VISITING FELLOWSHIPS
Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of English Studies, University of London April 01- Sept 02
Visiting Scholar, English Department, Princeton University, USA Nov 99
Visiting Fellow, New Zealand Cultural Studies Centre, University of Otago, NZ Feb – Mar 96
ACADEMIC AWARDS
British Academy Humanities Research Board Postgraduate Studentship Oct 96- Sep 97
University of Warwick Graduate Award Oct 94- Sep 96
International Federation of University Women Fellowship Award Feb 96
Marlboro College Teaching Assistantship Sep 88- May 90
Marlboro College McArthur Essay Prize June 89
PUBLICATIONS
Articles
2000 ‘To the Is-Land: Self and Place in Autobiography’, Australian-Canadian Studies 18.1-2, 2000 pp 51-64
1999 ‘Metaphors of Place in New Zealand Writing’
AngloFiles (special issue on Canada and New Zealand) 112, May 1999 pp. 61-65.
1996 ‘Madness, Philosophy and Literature: a reading of Janet Frame’s “Faces in the Water”’ Journal of New Zealand Literature 14, 1996, pp. 74-89.
Chapters
2000 ‘The Textual Contract: Distinguishing Autobiography from the Novel using Paul Ricoeur and Janet Frame’ in Polkey and Donnell, eds.
Representing Lives: Women and Autobiography, Macmillan, 2000.
Encyclopedia Entries
2001 Entries on Janet Frame and Carolyn Steedman for the Encyclopedia of Life Writing,
ed. by Margaretta Jolly, Fitzroy Dearborn, 2001
Reviews
2001 Times Literary Supplement, May 18 2001, pp. 11-12.
‘Glistening With Freud’: a review of Michael King’s Biography,‘Wrestling With the Angel: A Life of Janet Frame’.
2000 Lead review in Radical Philosophy Jan/Feb 2000.
‘Appreciating Our Beginnings’, Review Article (3,000 words)
of Sheila Rowbotham’s ‘Threads Through Time: Writings on History and Autobiography’ and R. Blau duPlessis and A. Snitow’s ‘The Feminist Memoir Project’.
1999 Review of Women’s Lifeworlds, ed. by Edith Sizoo,
Community Development Journal 34:2, 1999, pp. 172-76.
SEMINAR AND CONFERENCE ORGANIZER and CONVENOR
1998-2000 ‘Representing the Self’ seminar series; Oxford Brookes University
1994 -1997 The Autobiography Workshop, University of Warwick
1996 Day Conference on Autobiography, University of Warwick
INVITED SPEAKER
2002
‘(Wo)man Alone: Gender and Ethnicity in Some Settler Autobiographies’ University of North London
2001
‘Self and Place in Autobiography’, Life Writing Seminar series, University of London
‘Gender and Place in Settler Narratives’, Warwick University
1999
‘To the Is-Land: Self and National Identity in Autobiography’ University of Kent
‘Instructing Identity: Dot’s Little Folk and To the Is-Land’ Institute of CW Studies
‘Complex Coloniality: Being Pakeha’, National University of Ireland, Galway
‘Metaphors of Memory: Incipit vita Nova’ University of East London
‘The Fictive Critique: Literature as/and Philosophy’ Oxford Brookes University
1998
‘What is auto/biography?’ Oxford Brookes University
1997
‘Janet Frame and Dot’s Little Folk.’ Institute of Commonwealth Studies
‘Dot’s Little Folk, the School Journal and the school curriculum’ Warwick University
‘Transgressing Genre Boundaries? Autobiography and the Novel’, Nottingham Trent
‘Re-Reading the (Male) Subjects of the Autobiographical Canon’ Warwick University
1996
‘Who is Janet Frame? Real and Unreal in the Autobiographies’
Institute of Commonwealth Studies
‘Janet Frame’s search for a place to call home: the New Zealander’s quest for identity’ Dunedin Federation of University Women, New Zealand
‘Reading Frame without her, or the birth of Janet Clutha: a parallel enquiry into the art of autobiography and the art of Janet Frame’, University of Auckland, New Zealand
‘Looking at the Differences between Autobiography and Fiction’ University of Otago,NZ
‘Re-Reading the Autobiographical Canon’ University of Humanist Studies, Utrecht
‘The Author Janet Frame’ Warwickshire Association of Women Graduates
1995
‘Feminist and Postcolonial Perspectives on Autobiography: the case of Janet Frame’, University of Birmingham
UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING
Module Leader, Sole Lecturer and Seminar Tutor on the following special options:
Gender and Sexuality in the Brontes and Oscar Wilde
School of Humanities, Oxford Brookes, spring terms 98 and 99 and 00
Novels and Poems of the Seventies and After
School of Humanities, Oxford Brookes, summer term 00
Autobiography and Difference: Women Writing the Self
Centre for the Study of Women and Gender, University of Warwick, autumn term 96
Writing Women’s Lives
Centre for the Study of Women and Gender, University of Warwick, autumn term 96
Seminar Participation Skills
Centre for the Study of Women and Gender, Warwick, autumn and spring terms 94-5
Arts Foundation Course (A102)
Open University (Milan, Italy); ‘Introduction to the Humanities’ (Jan 93- Sep 94)
Lecturer and seminar tutor on the following core courses:
Texts, Problems and Approaches (first-year)
School of Humanities, Oxford Brookes, spring and summer terms 98 and 99
Language, Literature and Discourse I (first-year)
School of Humanities, Oxford Brookes, autumn term 99
Critical Issues: English Studies Synoptic Module (third-year)
School of Humanities, Oxford Brookes, spring and summer terms 98 and 99
Clear Writing (first year)
Marlboro College, Vermont USA autumn, spring and summer semesters, 88-9
POSTGRADUATE TEACHING
Visiting Lecturer with sole responsibility for designing, teaching and assessing the MA course Reading As A Writer Royal Holloway College, University of London spring term 05
Lecturer and seminar leader on the MA special subject:
‘Neither Here Nor There’: self, other and national identity in New Zealand
language, literature and film Oxford Brookes, spring term 99
Lecturer/ seminar tutor on the core MA courses:
Theory, Methodology and Techniques of Research in the Humanities
Oxford Brookes, autumn and spring Terms 1998-9
Humanities M.A. Students Seminar
Oxford Brookes, autumn, spring and summer terms 00-01
SUPERVISIONS
Director of Studies for PhD (Oxford Brookes, Jan 1998- July 2000)
Supervisor of six MA dissertations at Oxford Brookes
