Email: maria.mellins@stmarys.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8240 4194
About Research Media
Biography
Maria teaches on Film and Screen Media, and Criminology and Sociology degrees. The modules she delivers include Crime in the Media; Bodies, Gender and Sexuality; Paradox of Horror; Screen Cults and Identity, Screenwriting and research modules.
Maria's podcast, Murder Society, investigates true crime and the representation of victims/survivors in the media. Her non-fiction book, Vampire Culture (Bloomsbury, 2013) draws on interviews and observations of the London vampire community and considers the impact of horror and vampire media, on fashion and lifestyle.
Maria is currently organising a conference on Murder and True Crime, and is supervising PhD students in the areas of fairy tales, horror, and crime entertainment.
Research
Selected Publications:
- Murder Society Podcast (2019) Series 1 is available on all podcast providers.
- 'Mermaid Spotting: the Rise of Mermaiding in Popular Culture,' in Beasts of the Deep. Sea Creatures and Popular Culture. John Libbey Publishing (2018).
- Maria Mellins and Peter Howell, Introductions to the Monster Collection of Frankenstein,Dracula and Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde, Audible, 2017.
- Returning Eden (Crooked Cat, 2016).
- Maria Mellins & Brigid Cherry (ed.) ‘Subverting Fashion’, Special Edition of Clothing Cultures Journal (Intellect 2.2)
- Vampire Culture. (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013)
- ‘The Fangtasia Experience: True Blood Fans, Commodification and Lifestyle’, in Brigid Cherry, True Blood: Investigating Vampires and The Southern Gothic. I.B. Tauris (2012)
- ‘Negotiating the Punk in Steampunk’.Co-authored with Brigid Cherry, The Intellect Journal of Punk and Post Punk (2011)
- ‘Fashioning a Morbid Identity. Female Vampire Fans and Subcultural Style’ in B. Cherry, P. Howell & C. Ruddell (ed) Twenty-First-Century Gothic, Cambridge Scholars (2010)
- ‘Dressing up as Vampires: Virtual vamps – negotiating female identity in cyberspace’, Networking Knowledge, Journal of MeCCSA PGN. 1(2) (2007)
- Interview on BBC World News (Oct 2013)
- Interview on Jo Good Show BBC London Radio (Oct 2013)
In the news
Dr Maria Mellins and Dr Brigid Cherry from St Mary’s University, Twickenham have edited a special issue of the Clothing Cultures Journal. Find out more...
On Friday 11th July, St Mary’s University, Twickenham will host a conference exploring the concept of fashion and how it relates to the media. Find out more...
Media enquiries
For media enquiries, please contact our Communications and Public Engagement Manager, Sam Yarnold, by emailling sam.yarnold@stmarys.ac.uk or calling 020 8240 8262.