Dr Rebecca Wismeg-Kammerlander

I am a Visiting Research Fellow at King's College London, where I have previously been a lecturer in German and European Studies. I am a researcher in German studies, a literature enthusiast, and a material culture geek.

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My main areas of interest are Austrian literature and culture, consumer culture, and the construction and portrayal of identities. In my PhD research (completed in 2021 at King's) I examined consumer objects, identities, and author brands in post-2000 Austrian literature, unpicking the emergence of the national brand of Austria and introducing the concept of "Consumer Literacy" - the skill to read the narrative value of consumer objects. This research will be made available in print format soon, which I am very much looking forward to.  

 

In a future project, I plan to explore the role and impact of medical devices, from pacemakers to prosthetics, in contemporary literature and visual culture. Here the focus will lie on the intersection between "man and material", on the significance of product design and design ethics, as well as on the changes in perception and representation of such objects.

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I am a member of WiGS (Women in German Studies), the MHRA Modern Humanities Research Association) and the AGS (Association for German Studies in Great Britain and Ireland). I am also overseeing the German section of the author pages run by the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Women's Writing at the Institute for Languages, Cultures and Societies (ILCS).