Toswell named among inaugural Western Massey Fellows
M.J. Toswell, English and Writing Studies, is one of two Western University professors who will maintain a presence at Massey College during the 2024-2025 year thanks to a new partnership between the two institutions.
The new Western Massey Fellows program enables Western professors to access senior resident privileges at the college during the academic year, participate in the life of the college and serve as a mentor to a junior fellow.
Established at the University of Toronto in 1963, Massey College is a unique graduate college that fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing between graduate students, distinguished academics and established leaders from all disciplines, industries and backgrounds.
Toswell is currently on sabbatical and she is working on her “Medieval
Canada” monograph, towards which she has been developing material for close to a decade. Her research focuses on the underlying medievalism inherent in Canadian society. Toswell looks to examples of conservative medievalism in Canadian literature, and in such other features as architecture, heraldry, governance and institutional structures, and even sports such as hockey.
During her time as a Massey Fellow, Toswell also plans to work on a book about “Navigating the Canadian University.” The book will develop ideas from a course Toswell has taught at Western University entitled “This University” and the book will explore how universities function across the country. Toswell's position as a Massey Fellow will allow opportunities to engage with people from other institutions, exchanging ideas and investigating new thoughts.
