Jonathan Padley

Position

Affiliated Lecturer

Qualifications

• BA English Language and Literature (University of Oxford)

• BA Theology and Religious Studies (University of Cambridge)

• MA English (University of Wales)

• PhD English (University of Wales)

• PGCE Post-Compulsory Education and Training (University of Wales)

• LMusTCL Musical Theory Criticism and Literature (Trinity College London)

Memberships

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

• Editorial Board member of Children’s Literature in Education

Profile

Jonathan Padley is a specialist in English children’s literature from the eighteenth century to the present day. His work explores margins particularly the marginalisation of authors texts and characters. His PhD argued that the child protagonists of children’s literature can be understood etymologically and theoretically as monsters.

As well as children’s literature Jonathan is interested in interdisciplinary dialogues between literature media music science and theology. He has published broadly including on transgressive creation in Shelley’s Frankenstein bibliographical anomaly in Tennyson’s English Idyls and Christological imaging in Tolkien’s Middle-earth mythos.

Jonathan has been an Affiliated Lecturer at the Faculty of Education since 2020 where he teaches and examines undergraduates and postgraduates in children’s literature. He is a Fellow Tutor and the Lead Admissions Tutor at Churchill College and Director of Studies in Education at Lucy Cavendish and St Edmund’s Colleges. He is also an Honorary Member of the Faculty of English.

Alongside academic work Jonathan is committed to widening participation in higher education. From 2013 to 2015 he was seconded to Welsh Government to co-lead the research and policy implementation which gave rise to Seren to which he still regularly contributes.

Before taking up his current roles in Cambridge Jonathan was variously an Honorary Research Associate of the Department of English Language and Literature at Swansea University and a Lecturer and Tutor at Gorseinon College and Coleg Sir Gâr.

Research Topics

• Children's literature

• English literature post-1750

• Education

Articles and Essays

• Padley J. 2023. “‘The enemy of imagination’? Re-imagining Sarah Trimmer and Her Fabulous Histories” in Women’s Literary Education 1690–1850 edited by Jessica Lim and Louise Joy 285-310. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

• Padley J. 2012. “Peter Pan: Indefinition Defined.” The Lion and the Unicorn 36.3: 274-287.

• Padley J. 2011. “‘Declare the interpretation’: Redacting Daniel in Early Bibles for English Children.” Biblical Interpretation 19.3: 311-336.

• Padley J and K Padley. 2010. “‘From mirrored truth the likeness of the True’: JRR Tolkien and Reflections of Jesus Christ in Middle-earth.” English 59.224: 70-92

• Padley J. 2009. “Marginal(ized) Demarcator: (Mis)Reading The Water-Babies.” Children’s Literature Association Quarterly 34.1: 51-64. Republished in Vol. 167 of Children’s Literature Review edited by J Krstović 146-154. Detroit: Gale.

• Padley J. 2007. “No Idyl(l) Matter: The Orthographic and Titular History of Alfred Tennyson’s English Idyls.” The Tennyson Research Bulletin 9.1: 97-110.

• Padley J and K Padley. 2006. “‘A Heaven of Hell a Hell of Heaven’: His Dark Materials Inverted Theology and the End of Philip Pullman’s Authority.” Children’s Literature in Education 37.4: 325-334

• Padley J. 2003. “Frankenstein and (Sublime) Creation.” Romanticism 9.2: 196-212.

PhD

• Padley J. 2006. “(De)Monstration: Interpreting the Monsters of English Children’s Literature.” Swansea: University of Wales Swansea.

Welsh Government Widening Participation Reports

• Murphy P S Gallagher and J Padley. 2014. “Final Report of the Oxbridge Ambassador for Wales.” Cardiff: Department for Education and Skills.

• Gallagher S and J Padley. 2014. “Analysis of the Attainment of Welsh Applicants to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.” Cardiff: Department for Education and Skills.

• Gallagher S and J Padley. 2014. “Comparing Welsh Attainment and Admission to Oxford and Cambridge with the North-East of England.” Cardiff: Department for Education and Skills.

• Gallagher S and J Padley. 2014. “Welsh Attainment and Admission to Oxford and Cambridge: the Evidence Base.” Cardiff: Department for Education and Skills.

• Murphy P S Gallagher and J Padley. 2013. “Interim Report of the Oxbridge Ambassador for Wales.” Cardiff: Department for Education and Skills.