Sisters in Arms: A Creative Study of Queer Female Protagonists in Urban Fantasy Fiction

Sisters in Arms: A Creative Study of Queer Female Protagonists in Urban Fantasy Fiction is a creative practice-based research project which explores the nature of queerness in relation to genre, place, and characters. In the critical analysis of my novel, Sisters in Arms, I explore two areas connected by intersectionality: the representations of queer protagonists and the role that locality plays in identity.

To consider the first I examine in detail how queer theory, current events and socio-political climates have influenced my writing and the creative decisions that I have made, particularly in regard to gender identity.

In terms of the second I explore the relationship of location in fiction to identity, and the importance of locality in a setting. The urban fantasy novel Sisters in Arms is set in a small town and features queer protagonists, the novel explores platonic relationships and queerness without romantic queer relationships and gender identity being a central issue for the plot to be solved.

The thesis draws on both the critical commentary and the creative work to form a complete exploration of queer female protagonists and their roles in the small-town urban fantasy landscape.