PhD in Contemporary Travel Writing
Writing Travel in the Twenty-First Century: Mobility and Authenticity in the Planetary Emergency
Travel is older than human civilization itself. Migration, trade, tourism and pilgrimage, all are forms of human movement that have existed for millennia. Yet travel is no longer what it used to be. Slow travel, flight shame, sustainable travel, eco- and anti-tourism, staycation and microadventures are but some of many recent terms testifying to a growing awareness that mobility has become inextricably intertwined with planetary concerns, regardless of whether it is the short distance of a commute to work, or that of long-distance globetrotting. With 2024 likely proving to be the hottest year on record and tourists evacuated by boat from uncontrollable forest fires on Rhodes in 2023, all the while tech billionaires promise us trips to Mars and hotels on the moon (while others perish trying to reach the Titanic), we are also told to stop flying, to slow down, to consider the intimate and not the faraway. Querying why, how, and indeed if ‘we’ need to travel, this project will read contemporary ways in which travel is written, documented, and imagined, in traditional print formats like the book, but also examining digital forms of 'writing' and performing travel. For in the planetary emergency, the cost of actual mobility – no matter how long or how short the distance – is inevitably tied up with the manner in which the mobile individual relates to the planet at large.
The PhD in Contemporary Travel Writing
The PhD in Contemporary Travel Writing will be part of the research project ‘Writing Travel in the Twenty-First Century: Mobility and Authenticity in the Planetary Emergency (MAP)’ situated at The Department of Language and Culture at the University of Southern Denmark and funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF).
The position is expected to begin on 1 February 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.
The central tasks of MAP are to examine the many and varied forms of non-fiction text that travel in the twenty-first century has engendered, and to analyse those features which mark this corpus as distinct from and/or continuous with earlier ways of ‘writing travel’. Traditional print formats – travel writing books, essays, articles, letters and postcards – have undergone radical change as a range of digital media and forms (microblogging, texting, podcasts, video essays), as well as platforms (Instagram, YouTube, Travelblog, TikTok), have altered the manner in which experiences and ideas of travel are narrated, distributed, and consumed. Similarly, while colonial, gendered and racialized travel writing tropes have been challenged or (at times) eliminated in current travel media, other features of earlier travel discourses linger on (‘authentic’ travel, adventure, exoticism, tourism).
MAP will question how awareness of travel writing’s imperialist pedigree, the environmental costs of travel, and the emergence of digital media have changed perspectives on travel, and the ways in which it is written and documented. The PhD could thus focus, for instance, on how slow travel, flight shame, sustainable travel, eco- or anti-tourism, staycations or microadventures have altered ideas about mobility and place, as well as the forms in which these ideas are articulated. Centrally, the PhD should address the growing awareness that personal mobility has become inextricably intertwined with planetary concerns.
PhD Applicant - Key assessment criteria:
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in English, Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, Journalism or a related field.
• Demonstrated interest and expertise in travel writing studies, postcolonial/decolonial studies, ecocriticism, nature writing or mobility studied will be considered an advantage.
• Strong research and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative, international team.
• Excellent written and spoken English
About the Department of Culture and Language
The Department of Culture and Language has approximately 200 employees, covering a wide range of subjects and research interests, including American Studies, Audiologopaedia, Classical Studies, Communication, Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, Danish, English, German, History, Middle Eastern Studies, Organisational Communication, Philosophy and the Study of Religion.The Department of Culture and Language is located on the island of Funen at the university's main campus in Odense – the third-largest city in Denmark with 200.000 inhabitants. Odense provides family-friendly living conditions in a historic city with an urban feel where nature and other recreational areas are never far away. The city has excellent connections with public transportation to Aarhus and Copenhagen.
Contact information
Further information is available from Rune Graulund (graulund@sdu.dk, phone: +45 3175 7479) or Vice Head of Department Kristine Kjærsgaard (kristinek@sdu.dk).
For questions related to exam documents, CV etc. please send a mail to humfak-hr@sdu.dk
Terms of employment:
A PhD Fellowship is a three-year position. Employment ends automatically by the end of the period. The holder of the fellowship is not allowed to have other paid employment during the three-year period.
The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations),
The Application for the PhD Position in Travel Writing
To qualify for the PhD position, you must have obtained a Master’s degree by the application deadline. The evaluation will be based on the application materials, which must include:
To qualify for a PhD position, you must have completed a relevant master's degree with a good assessment by the application deadline.
An application must include:
• Cover letter (max. 1-1.5 pages), outlining research interests, your motivation, and fit for the project.
- Special PhD-application form found here
• CV (max. 3 pages), including contact information for academic referees.
• Brief tentative project proposal (max. 2 pages), describing a potential PhD subproject within Contemporary Travel Writing as outlined above.
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates.
• Writing samples / publications for assessment (max. 2). Please attach one pdf-file for each publication. For any publication with a co-author, a co-author statement must be submitted as part of the pdf-file
Application and all appendices must be in English, Danish or one of the Scandinavian languages. Only material in English, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish will be assessed. Please always include a copy of original diploma/certificates.
Please always include a copy of original diploma/certificates. We only accept files in pdf-format no more than 10 MB per file. In case you have more than one file per field you need to combine the pdf-files into a single file, as each field handles only one file. We do not accept zip-files, jpg or other image files. All pdf-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected.
If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above, the Faculty of Humanities may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.
Assessment and Evaluation Process
Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will receive an evaluation. Applications will be reviewed by an assessment committee, and shortlisted applicants will receive the part of the evaluation relevant to them. The committee may request additional information, and it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide the necessary documentation. Interviews and tests may also form part of the overall assessment.
PhD Application deadline
September 4, 2025 at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET/CEST)The University is signatory of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). We wish our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.
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