Summary of the impact

Research on the history of literary readership from the late 19th century to the present has proposed that all reading is necessarily `critical', and promoted the value of serious reflection on contemporary writing of many forms, from genre fiction to poetry, and on the historical formation of literary taste. Through work with the Durham Book Festival, school teachers and an exhibition gallery, the research has helped to inform and to engage their audiences, to bring reading communities together, and to encourage wider critical interpretation. It has influenced the strategic development of the Durham Book Festival, contributing to a marked increase in attendance.

Summary of the impact

Northumbria University's research on the eighteenth-century novelist Laurence Sterne and on the literary significance of the Delaval family has had benefits for two arts and cultural organisations in the North East and Yorkshire. The research has secured new audiences and increased business activity and footfall for the Laurence Sterne Trust (LST), changed the emphasis of heritage interpretation at Seaton Delaval Hall (SDH) and expanded the range of activities offered by both organisations. We have developed long-term and sustainable relationships with both of our partners and are now co-designing collaborative projects with them.

Summary of the impact

Lincoln's research in 21^st century literature and publishing has impacted upon local, national and global audiences. 21^st century literature is unique in that: 1) opinion over which texts are considered to be the most valuable has not yet been firmly formed; and 2) critical sources on 21^st century texts are sparse and often publicly inaccessible.

Lincoln's research into this area has had a direct, demonstrable influence on a BIS committee recommendation for government policy on open access in the UK and on top-level academic and government thinkers in Europe and Japan. Lincoln's open access publications, Alluvium and Orbit, break down the barriers between the public and academia to enhance the discussions of contemporary writing that are hosted at the university. Through discussions at live readings and performances and on internet channels, public audiences are invited to experience contemporary writing first-hand, and to participate in easily accessible online discussions about contemporary literature with internationally-leading scholars. Lincoln's strong research in this field — widely disseminated through high-profile conferences, a research group, a website, social media channels and two leading open access online journals - has been centred around creating a dialogue with the public, with a specific focus on schools and young people. The social and educational impact includes education about contemporary writers and their writing, the involvement of the public in forging opinion about what is valuable in 21^st century literature, and influencing school teachers in their teaching practices

Summary of the impact

Rebecca Stott's research into evolutionary theory (2001-7) has informed public knowledge of the history and philosophy of science. Both her fiction and her creative non-fiction make comparatively unfamiliar aspects of early evolutionary theory accessible to the general reader, and have thus enhanced understanding of science as well as scientists' understanding of culture. Stott founded a tradition of exploring science-literature intersections within our department which has been carried forward by our creative writers Katy Price and Laura Dietz.

Summary of the impact

Research demonstrating the innovative contributions of early women writers to the cultural, socio-political, and economic life of their period has enhanced and broadened understanding of British and European literary traditions. It has contributed intellectually and economically to the heritage industry through Chawton House Library (CHL), a registered charity promoting early women's writing, and a range of other public organisations. Key findings of the research have been used to reinvigorate secondary school teaching and inspire those who occupy leadership roles in education, inform television documentary makers, and enthuse old and new readers internationally.

Summary of the impact

Science fiction facilitates the exploration of pressing social, technological, cultural, ethical and philosophical issues, and our research engages with topics such as religious identity and what it means to be human, and also identifies and analyses changes in the way science, as a discourse and practice, has been defined and perceived. Our research, both critical and creative, has had impact through providing cultural enrichment to a range of individuals and groups, transferring the insights gained from this research to a wider audience. The dissemination of our research has challenged social assumptions, as well as created and interpreted cultural capital.

Summary of the impact

This case study details Professor Nicola Humble's pioneering research and its impact on popular engagement with cultural heritage. Humble's research has increased awareness of the study of cook books as literary texts, of the middlebrow fiction of the first half of the twentieth century and the cultural politics that surrounded it. Through a sustained programme of public engagement including popular publishing, journalism, public speaking, radio and television broadcasting, her work has presented new forms of cultural heritage inspiring new forms of literary engagement amongst wide public audiences. The significance of this impact is demonstrated by the long legacy of her work and the increased public awareness of the approaches she pioneered; its reach by the frequent references to her work in a variety of forums on topics as diverse as baking, reading, crafts, eating, book collecting, feminism and parenting.

Summary of the impact

Bradford's exploration of the lives of modern British writers demonstrates how research can cross over into audiences beyond specialist academic markets. The impact of his research lies in:

• providing the ordinary reader with ground breaking insights into key modern British and Irish writers;
• offering reinterpretations, new understandings, and critical debate surrounding these writers, thereby contributing to a reframing of such writers in the public eye, with particular reference to the controversial aspects of the modern novel;
• his popular reception as a biographer stimulating collaborations with creative industries and providing meaningful commercial sustenance for the independent publishing sector.

Summary of the impact

This case study shows how the research of Brian Cummings, his edition of The Book of Common Prayer and subsequent co-curated exhibition at Lambeth Palace, `Monarchy and The Book of Common Prayer', have enriched cultural life and public discourse through increasing public appreciation of The Book of Common Prayer. The work has informed the understanding of the history and nature of Christian worship for two overlapping groups of the public: members of Christian churches; and those interested in religious history and culture. The work has also had an impact on general public understanding of the history and development of the English language.

Summary of the impact

The Gutzkow project, co-directed by Lauster and Vonhoff of the Department of Modern Languages (German), has transformed public access to the author's work through open-access, on-line publication. The project, which combines specialist scholarship with innovative editing, has considerably enhanced public appreciation of a widened canon of 19^th-century German literature (impact 1). User testimonies, the international press, public acknowledgement and public involvement in events in the region reveal a significant renewal of public interest in Gutzkow. The editorial results of the Gutzkow project have been requested by an interdisciplinary linguistic digitization project in Berlin and will be fully integrated in this open access linguistic database (impact 2).