A.K. (Ashley) Maher, Dr

Zoological Rewritings of the Marriage Plot: Scientific and Literary Collaboration in Modern British Social Reform

NWO SSH Open Competition, 2026

While the marriage plot has long been central to British literature, 20th-century authors began to rethink marriage’s role in the novel. This project investigates a surprising catalyst: zoological research into diverse family structures and sexual behavior. It will use social network mapping to reconstruct the intellectual exchanges between scientists and authors and their alliances in the campaign to decriminalize homosexuality. Of prime interest will be the reciprocity of these partnerships: whereas zoologists offered authors alternative models of sexuality and family life, the novel presented an ideal medium for making zoological concepts accessible and thus for steering social debates.