The Contemporary Irish Novel: Tradition and Modernity

The contemporary Irish novel presents a compelling example of aesthetic experimentation which incorporates different genres and literary preoccupations such as historical fiction, postcolonial fiction, the novel as global form, speculative fiction, and postmodern/meta-modernist philosophical and aesthetic themes.

I seek PhD students interested in exploring related facets in contemporary Irish writing that connect literary style and genre with issues in literary history, writerly influence, postcolonial situatedness, postmodern culture and theorizing, and interdisciplinary movements in philosophy, film, and critical theory. Writers may include John Banville, Colum McCann, Mike McCormack, Anne Enright, Emma Donoghue, Niall Williams, Lucy Caldwell, Seamus Deane, and Neil Jordan.

Important Note

We welcome you to have a conversation with Assistant Professor Ian Tan (ian.tan@nie.edu.sg) to discuss this PhD project further. You are strongly encouraged to reach out to him at least 3 months in advance of application deadline (i.e. 25 June 2026) as the process of confirming the supervision and preparing your proposal for application may take longer than you anticipate.

When you email Assistant Professor Ian Tan, please:

1. Introduce yourself
2. Share about your academic background
3. Provide information on your research interests and how it is aligned with this project
4. And how you hope to achieve your PhD aspirations

We regret to inform you that only suitable PhD candidates for this project will be shortlisted for further consideration.

Minimum Entry Requirement

A Bachelor's degree with honours at least at Second Class Upper level, Master's degree in the relevant areas and the ability to pursue research in the candidate's proposed field of advanced study.

Shortlisted applicants will undergo an interview session as part of the selection process.

A valid GRE score is required for applicants who are not graduates of the Autonomous Universities in Singapore. See detailed requirements for English language on competency and GRE requirements here.

Funding Notes

Prestigious scholarships offered by the Nanyang Technological University allows outstanding PhD students to pursue their research endeavours at a world-class university. At NTU, we recognize academic excellence and research potential that will help you focus on making groundbreaking discoveries in your field.

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