Antarctic Imaginations: A Study of Creative Responses to the Continent for Science

Antarctica has for two centuries been the subject of numerous novels, poems and plays, both by writers who have never seen the continent, and by expeditioners and explorers themselves. Apart from a small number of canonical nineteenth-century texts, these representations of the continent have been subject to very little analysis. This project examines creative written responses to Antarctica, drawing on both published works and archival material, and focussing particularly on the cultural significance of Antarctica’s construction as a ‘continent for science’. Research outcomes will include innovative interdisciplinary contributions to Antarctic studies and English studies.
The project builds on earlier research funded by internal grants, which included the construction of an online bibliography of Antarctic fiction, poetry, drama, film and literary criticism.