Biography
The Kathleen Firth Lecture has been periodically organised by the Centre for Australian and Transnational Studies (CEAT) at the University of Barcelona since 2011, when Dr Kathleen Firth retired from her teaching and academic work at the University. Dr Firth had taken over Postcolonial Studies in the English Department at UB from Professor Doireann MacDermott, who in turn was instrumental in introducing Postcolonial Studies in Spain. Dr Firth is renowned as an international scholar in the field and worked in many areas, with a strong focus on research but was also deeply committed to expanding the teaching curriculum. While her emphasis was on the Caribbean and India, she also explored and introduced literature from Canada and from the African continent.
She led the postcolonial team at the University of Barcelona with enthusiasm and tireless work. At CEAT we are honoured to be able to offer these now traditional plenary lectures in her name. Together with the Doireann MacDermott Lectures, they are one of the hallmarks of CEAT activities.