Dr Samuel Sargeant

Professional biography

I began working with the Open University in 2022 as a Wales based Staff Tutor and Lecturer in Creative Writing. Before joining the English department here, I taught English Literature and Creative Writing at Cardiff University. I have also taught at the Cardiff University International Study Centre where I lectured on Creative Writing, English Literature, Philosophy and Medieval History.

Research interests

My main areas of interest include historiography and its relationship to historical fiction: with a special focus upon the history of adaptation. I am currently researching the samtíðarsögur (contemporary sagas) of medieval Iceland. I am viewing these broadly historiographical texts as acts of creative writing and using them in the development of my third novel set within this period. 

In addition, I am exploring how Creative Writing techniques and methodologies can be useful theraputic tools for people with lived experience of visual hallucinations (VH) within psychosis. I am particularly interested in developing "toolsets" for both service users and care providers that can better facilitate communication between the two and improve patient outcomes.

Finally, I am exploring how visual hallucinations have been presented in both medical literature (case notes etc) and medieval western literature. 

I am interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:

Genre Writing: Historical Fiction/Fantasy/Science Fiction

Historical Fiction and its Relationship to Historiography

Mental Health and its Presentation within Medieval Western Literature

Theraputic Applications of Creative Writing

If you would like to enquire about potential PhD supervision, please contact FASS-EnglishCreativeWriting-Enquiries@open.ac.uk

Teaching interests

My teaching interests are broadly based around genre writing with a focus upon historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction. I have also taught on late medieval literature in other institutions, including Cardiff University. I am currently a senior lecture within Creative Writing and cluster manage A215  as a Staff Tutor.