I am an Australian currently living and working in the Netherlands.

Do I speak Dutch? No. But I’m learning!

Plus, I own a bike.

I have a PhD in literature. Specifically, contemporary YA fantay/speculative literature. I have a deep love of YA writing and that is the genre I prefer to read and write the most. At the moment, I’m working on a trilogy about Vikings in England during the time of Alfred the Great; a wonderful group of editors called the Golden Egg Academy is helping me fine-tune it.

While I work on my fiction, I am also working on my academic chops. I’ve published a few good articles in my chosen field, as well as a few articles in different fields that technically aren’t mine – I just find them fascinating! If you’re at all interested in dwarven mining practices in The Lord of the Rings, representations of toxic masculinity in film, or podcasts about Dungeons & Dragons, hit me up!

When I started my PhD, I got involved in a number of academic organisations thanks to the generous guidance of my supervisors. I am on the executive board for the Australasian Association of Writing Programs, where I run the website / online presence coordinator portfolio. I’m also a board member for the Australasian Children’s Literature Association of Research, and their affiliated journal Papers.

At the moment, a group of colleagues and I are at the helm of a magazine called Manuscription, which only publishes writers and artists under eighteen.

Looking at that list… it seems like a lot. But I’m just exploring the ideas that I like. If you’re interested, you can read my list of publications or over at Academia.edu. You can also find me on Twitter (@jessieflea) or Instagram (dr_jess_seymour).

Cheers,

Jessie