Research

Vincent Quinn’s research focuses on three main areas: eighteenth-century literature, especially poetry; the history of sexuality, and; Irish writing.

His book on Pre-Romantic Poetry reads late-eighteenth century verse through the lens of social and literary formations such as patronage networks, the pastoral, the sublime, and ‘occasional poetry’. A similar interest in cultural politics can be found in his essays on writers such as Jane Austen, Mary Robinson and William Cowper. His work on Ireland centres on the role that sexuality and gender have played in the histories of Unionism and Republicanism; he has published articles on Patrick Pearse, contemporary Northern Irish poetry, and twentieth-century Irish drama. His research on the history of sexuality is mostly concerned with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century materials, although he has recently begun to work on questions of ‘conduct’ in relation to late-twentieth-century theories of sexual citizenship.

Vincent also writes fiction and poetry; his novel Worth Fighting With was shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award for best debut novel, and his short stories and poetry have appeared in literary journals in the US, Britain, and Ireland.

Vincent has supervised DPhil and MPhil students working on topics such as HIV and AIDS awareness discourse; eighteenth-century sexual ideology; Brian Friel; queer sexualities in South Asia; and feminist retellings of fairytales. He welcomes research applications from students working on sexuality studies, eighteenth-century writing, and twentieth-century Irish culture.