Literature and Risk
How do we narrate crises? What role do literature and stories play in coming to terms with fears about the future? In her research, Julia Hoydis, Professor of English Literature, brings together topics such as the history of the English novel, narrative theory, postcolonialism, ecocriticism and artificial intelligence. Having held posts in London, Cologne and Cambridge, she now works at the Institute of English Studies.
Hope on a Small Scale
At the heart of Julia Hoydis’s research lies the concept of risk: how are uncertainties, crises and visions of the future addressed in literary texts? Her postdoctoral thesis (Risk and the English Novel. From Defoe to McEwan) focused on the narrative theory of risk, beginning in the 18th century with Robinson Crusoe, through 19th-century marriage plots, to the crises of our time. She is currently working on a highly topical issue: climate change. She explores how literature addresses climate change, resilience and adaptation – no longer as a future scenario, but as our reality. She is particularly interested in how stories help us to cope with fear and uncertainty and to find hope on a small scale – something she also finds confirmed in her discussions with her students.
Literature, AI and Sustainability
Another key focus of Julia Hoydi’s research is the intersection of literature and artificial intelligence. She takes a critical look at increasing digitalisation and the influence of AI on reading skills, authorship and the reception of texts. She is particularly keen to strengthen the reading skills and critical thinking abilities of both school pupils and university students; especially at a time when AI skills often push engagement with longer texts into the background. In her teaching and research, Ms Hoydis advocates a mindful approach to digital tools and also addresses the environmental impacts of AI, which are often neglected in this context.
Stories of the Future
Together with a colleague from the University of Cologne, Julia Hoydis is currently working on a book project entitled ‘Storylearning: Narrative Future Making in the Public Environmental Humanities’. The focus is on how learning through stories works and how reading experiences can contribute to shaping the future. She emphasises that, particularly at a time when digital skills and artificial intelligence are increasingly coming to the fore, literary studies offer a unique approach to knowledge and reflection. She takes a critical view of the increasing use of AI, as it may threaten important skills such as in-depth reading and the comprehension of complex content and texts.
Furthermore, Ms Hoydis is working on a project proposal together with colleagues from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Ageing and Care Research and the Centre for Intermediality at the University of Graz. This planned project, ‘Risk to Care: Temporalities in Ecocriticism and Age Studies’, focuses on crisis narratives and the connection between environmental and ageing research. The aim of the project and the EcoAge network is to highlight the complex interrelationships between these themes and to promote dialogue between academia and society with a view to shaping the future in the face of planetary and demographic crises.
Julia Hoydis has been Professor of English Literature at the Department of English Studies in Graz since autumn 2024. Her main areas of research include the English novel, narrative theory, posthumanism and ecocriticism. She is editor of the journal *Anglistik* and Vice-President of the German Society for English Studies (2022–2025).