In partnership with Scottish Universities’ International Summer School, we announced the recipients of the 2024 Edwin Morgan Scholarships in June. The scholarships, which cover course and accommodation fees for students to attend the two-week Scottish Literature course at SUISS this August, are awarded to early-career academics from the UK and abroad who do not have Scottish Literature courses at their home universities but who have demonstrated a committed interest in the subject. The Scholars participate in a wide-ranging academic and cultural programme and have the chance to engage face-to-face with locally based writers.
The 2024 Edwin Morgan Scholars:
About the Edwin Morgan Scholars
Yujin Ahn, Yonsei University, South Korea. Yujin is a Ph.D. student in English literature and culture at Yonsei University. She is interested in contemporary American and Scottish literature, film, gender, religion, and environmental studies. She wrote her master’s thesis on “Mining Womanist Ethics in Toni Morrison’s Novels” at Vanderbilt University.
Ismail Kaygisiz, Munzur University, Turkey. Ismail’s academic journey, which commenced at Bilkent University for a BA in English Language and Literature and continued at Middle East Technical University for an MA with a thesis titled “The Deterritorialization of Home and Identity in Brian Chikwava’s Harare North and Chris Cleave’s The Other Hand” exploring the contemporary migrant fiction in English, has instilled in Ishmail a deep appreciation for the complexities of literary discourse. He worked as a part-time lecturer at Hacettepe University, 2016-2017, and at TED University, 2018-2019, and he has been working as a research assistant in the department of Western Languages and Literatures at Munzur University since 2019. Ishmail is currently pursuing a PhD in English Literature at Ege University; his research delves into the realm of climate fiction, exploring the intersection of literature and environmental concerns.
María J. Sánchez, University of Oviedo, Spain. Maria is a English Philology graduate from the University of Oviedo, with a Master’s Degree in Gender and Diversity and currently completing her PhD on pandemic fiction from an interdisciplinary perspective—more specifically on Louise Welsh’s trilogy Plague Times—, while working as a teacher of English. Having always been drawn to dystopian literature, she has developed great interest for Scottish culture and xtopian literature written by women. As part of University of Oviedo’s research group “Intersections: Contemporary Literature, Cultures and Theories” she focuses her research on the figure of the cosmopolitan stranger and on the presence, or lack thereof, of solidarity networks and coalitions in (post-)apocalyptic scenarios.
This program not only expanded my field of research and knowledge in Scottish Literature but also offered me the chance to immerse myself in Scotland’s diverse culture. The activities, such as the poetic expedition up Arthur’s Seat with Iona Lee, attending the performance of Hamlet at the Edinburgh International Festival, a reading with James Robertson and participating in other cultural activities, were absolutely enlightening.
Yujin Ahn
One of the most transformative experiences was delivering my seminar on “Intersubjectivity and Recognition in Contemporary Climate Fiction.” Through this, I explored how environmental narratives intersect with human relationships, a theme central to my ongoing research. It was an honor to share my ideas with fellow scholars and practitioners, especially in a setting that encouraged deep reflection and vibrant discussion.
Ismail Kaygısız
On a personal level, SUISS marks a before and after in my life. I had been somewhat away from academia for a number of years—not completely, but not fully invested either—, and coming back to it in my mid-thirties has proved to be a challenge. As everyone in the field well knows, research is an immersive experience: it is time-consuming—albeit engrossing—and does not make it easy to get your foot in when you are already juggling everything that typical adult life entails. SUISS gave my research a push and, more importantly, renewed my excitement and commitment to belong to this world.
María J. Sánchez
edwinmorgantrust.com 