Mariana Casale O'Ryan
MA in English (London), PhD in Latin American Cultural Studies (Manchester)

I was born and educated in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I obtained a degree in English and developed the first part of my teaching career, specializing in English Language and Literature for International GCSE and also lecturing at various teacher training institutions.

My MA in Literature, Culture and Modernity took me to London in 1997.

During my time in London, I worked at the Argentine Embassy and, subsequently, in Further Education, teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages.

I spent some time at Trinity College, Dublin, where I began my research into my specialist subject, Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, and I taught Spanish at degree level.

I moved to Manchester in 2003, where I further developed my academic profile in Higher Education as I completed my PhD at the University of Manchester.

I have organized and given papers at international conferences, as well as teaching Spanish and Latin American Literature. I specialize in Latin American and Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. My PhD thesis, 'The Making of Jorge Luis Borges as an Argentine Cultural Icon' explores issues of Argentineness and cultural identity, and the intersections of literature with photography, popular art and the study of urban spaces.

I have chosen to take the richness and diversity of my teaching and academic experience outside of the university environment because I passionately believe that every reader has infinite potential for enhancing their own unique reading experience.

For more information, go to:
http://manchester.academia.edu/MarianaCasaleORyan/CurriculumVitae