Ramisha
Rafique

‘I wanted to continue my journey in academia.’

Before starting my PhD, I completed my undergraduate degree in English with Creative Writing at NTU and really enjoyed the critical and creative combination that I experienced during my undergraduate studies. I wanted to continue my journey in academia and applied for the Dr Pauline Polkey scholarship which I was awarded and went on to completing my MRes in English Literary Research. My MRes dissertation focused on British Pakistani Muslim writers and the poetics of identity and displacement. This dissertation considered how literature by contemporary British Pakistani Muslim writers responds to Islamophobic narratives and racial profiling of British Muslims. The dissertation examined the misrepresentations of cultural and religious identities in Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West (2017), Nadeem Aslam’s Maps for Lost Lovers (2004), and Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan’s Postcolonial Banter (2019). I have always been passionate about researching and writing and my goal was always to pursue a PhD after my MRes.

‘I wanted to be more involved in postcolonial studies and research on Islamophobia which this PhD is allowing me to do.’

I’m very passionate about postcolonial literature, Islamophobia, British Muslim women’s writing, and travel poetry, and I was certain that I wanted to pursue a career in academia that allowed me to continue researching within and contributing to these specified fields. My PhD project is a combination of critical and creative writing elements. The critical element of my PhD explores the ontology of the postcolonial flâneuse and decolonisation in British Muslim women’s writing. For the creative component of my project, I am producing a collection of travel poetry and prose. I wanted to be more involved in postcolonial studies and research on Islamophobia which this PhD is allowing me to do.

‘I applied for the NTU studentship scheme to fund my PhD which I was awarded.’

In terms of support, I have continuously received unconditional support from my tutors, supervisors, the staff in my school, the librarians, and the NTSU. I cannot praise these people enough as I know I wouldn’t be here without their support, guidance, and encouragement, especially my supervisors Jenni Ramone and Andrew Taylor.

I applied for the NTU studentship scheme to fund my PhD which I was awarded. I also recently received funding from the Postcolonial Studies Centre and Centre for Travel Writing Studies to travel to France and Turkey in order to conduct research for my project. During these trips I conducted archival research at the Louvre Museum and Musée d’Orsay reviewing relevant paintings and drawings by James Tissot and Constantin Guys. I also interviewed Muslim women about their experiences in their local cities and their experiences with Islamophobia. I had the opportunity to learn more authentically about Sufism and I interviewed a Dervish whilst in Turkey. These trips have also contributed to the development of the creative component of my PhD project as I wrote creatively from the perspective of the postcolonial flâneuse.

I was passionate about Islamophobia Awareness Month, something that is only just developing and that NTU had not established before. I am proud that I was able to work with NTU, NTSU and external speakers to ensure that NTU was one of the first UK universities to run a series of Islamophobia Awareness Month events in 2021, and that this is now part of our annual NTU calendar. I am extremely excited to see this grow at NTU.

‘I would like to pursue the post-doctorate route and eventually become a lecturer in my specialised field.’

After finishing my PhD, I would like to pursue the post-doctorate route and eventually become a lecturer in my specialised field. I will also continue writing poetry and contributing critically to research on Islamophobia.

‘I hope my work can give voice to Muslim women who are much too often spoken for and not given the opportunity to speak for themselves.’

I would like my research to have a positive impact on the narrative and representation of British Muslim women in literature. I would also like my work to contribute to raising awareness of and helping tackle Islamophobia in society, I hope my work can give voice to Muslim women who are much too often spoken for and not given the opportunity to speak for themselves. Although I know that is a very big aspiration, I would be content knowing that my work has played even a small part in a bigger change.

‘The highlights of studying at NTU for me include being part of establishing Islamophobia Awareness Month at NTU which I look forward to seeing grow and integrate into our university in the future.’

The highlights of studying at NTU for me include being part of establishing Islamophobia Awareness Month at NTU which I look forward to seeing grow and integrate into our university in the future. Another would be NTU officially adopting a definition of ‘Islamophobia’. That makes me very proud of being part of NTU. As well as these, presenting my research at the Leicester Human Rights Festival 2021 and ‘Enduring Performance: The Post-pandemic Future of Spoken Word’ conference hosted by University of Winchester.

The list could continue, NTU has given me many highlights over the years.