Dr Isabelle Parsons

Between 1997 and 2010 my academic life revolved primarily around African archaeology. I completed my graduate study in this field, and taught archaeology, heritage studies and/or material culture at the University of South Africa and The Open University. I still publish papers that reflect my interest in the human past.

The scope of my research broadened in 2010, when I embarked on an MA in English. This was followed by a doctorate on the work of Pulitzer-prize-winning novelist Edith Wharton, obtained in 2021. Today I teach English literature (modules A233 and A334) at The Open University. I have been a fellow of the Higher Education Academy since 2015.

As an honorary associate in the Department of English and Creative Writing, I have published in the Edith Wharton Review and am the author of The Secrets and Silences of Edith Wharton's Women (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025). I also am a former recipient of an Edith Wharton Society Award for Archival Research.

A list of my research outputs can be accessed here.

Away from teaching and learning, I enjoy putting on my running shoes and heading out for some fresh air.