Stephanie Lyttle
Doctoral Student in Creative Writing - Stephanie’s thesis is entitled 'Strange and Marvellous Magic: A Creative and Critical Exploration of the Construction of Bisexuality in Young Adult Fantasy Fiction'.
Research Project Title:
'Strange and Marvellous Magic: A Creative and Critical Exploration of the Construction of Bisexuality in Young Adult Fantasy Fiction'
Supervisors:
Prof Alex Pheby + Dr Lucy Pearson
Contact Details:
Email: s.lyttle2@newcastle.ac.uk
Research Interests:
- Bisexuality in Popular Culture
- Young Adult and Children’s Literature
- Genre Fiction (Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction)
- The Gothic
- Monstrosity
- Bodies
- Robots/Androids/Cyborgs in Fiction
- Video Games
Brief Outline of Research Project:
My research primarily asks: in what ways does 21st century young adult fantasy rely on the transactional nature of magic-based metaphors to construct a picture of bisexual adolescence? How does the othering experience of “growing up magic” mirror the othering experience of growing up bisexual?
This work simultaneously informs and is informed by the accompanying YA novel I will write; a fantasy-romance featuring rich portraits of female bisexuality.
Placements and funding
- AHRC Northern Bridge Consortium Part-Time Doctoral Training Partnership Studentship, 2019-2025.
- AHRC-funded writing residency at Tyne and Wear Archive, 2024.
- Recipient of New Writing North Creative Associates Bursary (for novel-writing), 2023-2024.
- Travel bursaries to attend research training at the British School at Rome (Jan 2020) and present at IRSCL conference in California (2023).
Publications and Performances (as Writer)
‘Care and Feeding Of’, dir. Jemma Martin, Alphabetti Theatre, Nov 2023
Lyttle, S., 2022. 'Challenging the Love Triangle in Twenty-First-Century Fantastic Young Adult Literature', The International Journal of Young Adult Literature, 3(1), pp.1–19. DOI: http://doi.org/10.24877/IJYAL.80
Short story 'Veterinary Science' in Blackbird Anthology, Vol II, 2019
Conferences
As presenter:
- February 2021 – ‘YA Fantasy: A ‘Magic Pill’ for the Problem of Bisexual Representation?’, Northern Bridge Lockdown Seminar Series (online)
- May 2021 - ‘Polyamory in Fantasy YA: What’s Stopping Us?’ and roundtable panel discussion on YA Fantasy, Let’s Talk About Sex in YA conference, Cambridge University (online)
- May 2021 – ‘Monsters, Magic, and the Masses: Reflections on Utilising Creative Writing PhD Research in Community Engagement’, ADSS Seminar Series, Northumbria University (online)
- September 2021 – Creative Presentation: ‘Spirit Collection: A Short Story Reading’, Beastly Landscapes Symposium, Newcastle University (online)
- June 2022 – Poster Presentation: ‘What Use is Young Adult Fantasy Literature in an Uncertain World?’, HASS Annual Postgraduate Research Showcase, Newcastle University
- November 2022 – Invited to Panel on Publishing with IJYAL (in support of publication of International Journal of Young Adult Literature vol 3), YA Studies Association 2022 conference (online)
- August 2023: ‘Bisexuality, Binaries and Borderlands: The Queerness of Magical Space in YA Fantasy Literature’, International Research Society for Children’s Literature, UC Santa Barbara.
As panel chair/organising team:
- April 2021 – Chair for panel on the Gothic, Northern Bridge Lockdown Seminar Series (online)
- 2023 – Organising Assistant, International Children’s Literature Symposium 2023
- Feb 2023 – Abstract Reviewer, Learning and Teaching Conference, Newcastle University
Outreach/Project Work
- PARTNERS Summer School (2022 onwards): Seminar (‘Writing Fantasy Worlds’) and lecture (‘Neurodiversity in Contemporary Fantasy YA Novels’)
- Research and Resource Developer (2022-2024) on Robinson Library/Academic Skills Team ‘Bridging the Gap’ Project, writing educational resources to support A-level students and first-year undergraduates. This project won a Vice Chancellor’s Education Excellence Team Award in 2025
- Creative writing outreach for Phillip Robinson Library for ‘Species: Past Present and Future’ project in conjunction with National Trust, and ‘Reflections on Seaton Sluice’ project - https://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/in-the-community/education-outreach/projects/
- 2020-present: Facilitating writing workshops for schools and cultural bodies including Seven Stories, Jane Austen’s House, the Farrell Centre for Architecture, Darlington Hippodrome, Tyne and Wear Archives, Locomotion Museum, New Writing North, and Durham Book Festival
Commissions and residencies
- 2024: Writer in Residence at Tyne and Wear Archives, funded by AHRC
- 2023: Creative Associates Commission for New Writing North
- 2022: Writer in Residence for New Writing North
- 2021: Poet in Residence for Jane Austen’s House Museum
- 2020: Online creative writing workshops for The Forests Project, a collaboration between Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books and Durham University
Teaching:
- Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Teaching in 2024/25: Introduction to Creative Writing 1 and 2; Transformations
- Previously taught on: Introduction to Literary Studies 1
Academic Background:
- MA (undergraduate) in English Language and Literature, Edinburgh University, 2011-2015
- MA English (Creative Writing), Queen’s University Belfast, 2017