Presentation
Research
I am a Swedish-British historian working on the lives of political activists in Sweden, South Africa and the United Kingdom from the 1960s until today. Among my research interests are women's experiences of and within political organisations, parliaments and governments, the lives of South African anti-apartheid activists in exile, and how the struggle against apartheid shaped Sweden and South Africa. My research is shaped by a keen interest in transnational and oral history methodologies, and decolonial and feminist theory.
I was awarded PhD in history from Birkbeck, University of London in 2016 when my thesis - 'Practical Solidarity: Connections between Swedish Social Democratic Women and Women in the African National Congress, 1960-1994' - was passed without corrections. The thesis and investigates how political activists from different countries created a community across national borders, and how this influenced ideas about gender and equality at local, national levels.
I'm currently working on 'Exiled: Activism, Identity and the ANC of South Africa in Sweden', a project previously funded by the Crafoord Foundation. I'm also working on a monograph on gender quota strategies within British Labour Party, the Swedish Social Democratic Party and South African ANC, as well as articles and chapters on Swedish foreign and solidarity politics. I run research network Global Solidarity Activism with Dr Kate Law (Nottingham).
Teaching
I teach across history and the social sciences at Malmö University, having previously taught at Queen Mary University of London, King's College London, Goldsmiths, University College London and Birkbeck, University of London.
Expertise and media appearances
I am very happy to answer questions from journalists and have plenty of experience of being interviewed live on air on topics relating to female politicians, political culture etc.
Education and previous experience
Before earning my PhD, I completed a BA Journalism with Contemporary History at City University and Queen Mary University of London, and an MA in Contemporary History and Politics at Birkbeck, University of London. I have worked a journalist since 2003, as an employee at the BBC and Condé Nast Publications, and as a freelancer for Sveriges Radio, The Guardian, Prospect, Historiskan and others.
Public engagement
I run a podcast - Tomorrow Never Knows - with historian Charlotte Lydia Riley (University of Southampton) since 2017. I'm also involved in MAU's brand-new History Workshop.
