Gill Plain

Gillian Mary Plain is a British literary historian and academic. She is currently the professor of english literature and popular culture at the University of St Andrews, and she was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2026.

Education

Plain obtained a Master of Arts in history and English from the University of Cambridge.

In 1989, Plain attended the Newcastle University. Under the supervision of Linda Anderson, her thesis was titled Strategies for Survival: Fiction and Reality in British Women's Writing of the Second World War. In 1993, she graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy.

Career

Upon graduation, Plain joined the University of Glamorgan. In 1998, she joined the University of St Andrews, as a lecturer in crime fiction. Later, she was a reader in English. In 2006, she was promoted to professor. Between 2014 to 2017, Plain was the head of the School of English.

In April 2026, Plain was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in the discipline of language, literature and history. In October 2026, she was appointed a Bye-Fellow of Robinson College.

Research

Plain is a literary historian and feminist critic, researching specifically on British literature, film, and culture of the mid-20th-century, crime fiction, war writing, and gender studies. She has authored or co-authored more than 40 publications.

Selected publications

References