Dr Kim Worthington

Kim's current research focuses on questions to do with confession, apology, forgiveness, amnesty and reconciliation and their relationship to contemporary politics and literature. This work develops theoretical and critical insights drawn from the work of Paul Ricoeur, Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas and J.M. Coetzee, among others. In many respects, Kim's current research interests are an extension of her earlier work on narrative ethics and subjectivity (see, for example, her book Self as Narrative: Subjectivity and Community in Contemporary Fiction: Clarendon, 1996). In recent years she has published book chapters and journal articles on novels by Ian McEwan, J.M. Coetzee and Bernhard Schlink.  Recent conference papers include presentations on writing by Antjie Krog, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and Jaspreet Singh.

Between 2001 and 2007, Kim worked as a consultant and writer in commercial and governmental sectors. She produced many publications during this time, often under psuedonyms, not listed (obviously) in her academic publication record.  This information is provided in explanation of the lack of publications evident in her academic record during these years.

Kim is the coordinator of several of papers in the School's undergraduate and postgraduate programmes: 139, 105 (Fiction); 139.210 (Rewriting Classic Fiction), 139.352 (Postcolonial Literature) and 139.725 (The Post-Romantic Subject). She co-teaches 139.139 (Introduction to English Studies) and 139.703 (Critical and Creative Research). She acted as Postgraduate Programme Coordinator for the School of English and Media Studies at Massey University until Dec 2014 and supervises Honours, Masters and Doctoral research. She is currently supervising five PhD students.

Kim is an appointed convenor for Massey University doctoral oral examinations, in a wide range of disciplinary areas.  She is currently an elected member of the College Board, College of Humanities and Social Sciences.