Lanta Davis

Queen's University Belfast (Irish Literature) Scholar Award, Queen's University Belfast - English Language & Literature

Growing up on a farm in South Dakota, Lanta’s love of books allowed her to travel the world and embark on countless adventures. At first, literature was an escape into new worlds. Later, however, she realised that fiction could also reveal truths about the world, and that even literature about “faraway” places could teach her much about home. Her research on Northern Irish writers has led her to believe that literature about the Troubles can help teach the rest of the world – especially those parts that are becomingly increasingly polarised – how to creatively resist forces of oppression, develop resilience, and forge pathways to reconciliation. While the peace process is far from over she is excited to see the remarkable strides the people of Belfast and the researchers at Queen’s have made in reconciliation efforts. She hopes to learn from the experiences of the Irish and Northern Irish people and bring these lessons back home, where she is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the John Wesley Honors College at Indiana Wesleyan University.