Amy is a writer and PhD candidate from South Africa
Her love of literature emerged at a young age, but began to blaze in earnest when she began studying English and Linguistics at Rhodes University in 2016. Here, Amy was free to explore the inextricability of language and storytelling, navigating narrative after narrative to investigate the intricate underpinnings of her favourite novels.
Amy’s insatiable reading habits have guided her through almost every genre, but she holds a special interest in speculative fiction and young adult literature. Her English Literature Honours dissertation was a critical analysis of The Hate U Give and Children of Blood and Bone as seminal young adult texts that deconstruct the genre’s conventions. In September 2021 she completed her Masters at the University of Nottingham, submitting a thesis on the disruptive potential of language in dystopian literature. She is a fierce feminist and turns to literature as a means of educating herself, examining her privilege, and pushing the limits of her imagination.
In addition to her academic investment in literature, Amy has been blogging and reviewing books since 2015. Working as a beta reader and advance reviewer inspired her to pursue copy-editing in a professional capacity so that she could work closely with authors in crafting eloquent, expressive novels that readers will adore. She received her professional qualification from the South African Writers Company in March 2020.
When she’s not reading, writing, or working with readers and writers, you can find Amy running through the East Midlands or snuggled up with a true crime podcast and a cup of tea.
As a researcher…
Amy is primarily interested in the interplays of politics and popular fiction, more broadly theorised in her writing as the intersections between fiction and reality, text and context. Some of her current publications in progress include an analysis of Judith Wright’s decolonial poetics, a stylistic investigation into speculative fiction’s disruptive language, and an examination of performativity in Nella Larsen’s Passing.
As an editor…
Amy is driven and detail-oriented, passionate and only slightly pedantic. She believes in editing as a means to enhance your story, allowing your voice to shine unobscured by errors and inconsistencies. With experience writing, reading, and copy-editing a large range of genres across popular and academic spheres, her skills can be tailored to fit your individual needs – however niche.
As a reader and writer…
Amy strives to fill every moment of her day with words. All Things Amy was once her personal blog, formed to satiate her three greatest sources of joy: reading, writing, and arguing with people on the internet. Now that she channels most of that passion into her research, she is a far less active blogger and reviewer. You can still peruse her old posts in the archive.
ALL THINGS AMY 