Eva Dema

My doctoral research centres on the poetry manuscripts of Thomas Hardy and is more broadly concerned with the author’s processes of revision. I am especially interested in the intersection between apathy and literary labour which unfolds across this verse: while much of Hardy’s poetry speaks to a particularly acute state of disinterest and indifference, his acts of revision – so often restless and obsessive – speak rather to an insatiable interest in these lines. I hope to assess the ways in which Hardy's understanding of literary labour confronts and engages with the apathy long felt to characterise his verse, as well as how and where his practice of poetic revision differs from that of his prose. I began my studies at St. John’s College, Cambridge in 2016, graduating with a first in English, before returning for the Modern and Contemporary Literature MPhil in 2019, from which I graduated with Distinction. Outside of my studies I am particularly passionate about improving access to universities and volunteer for a number of social enterprises seeking to widen participation in higher education. My PhD is co-funded by St. John’s College, Cambridge and a Vice-Chancellor’s Award.