Dr Lynn Turner

Staff details

Position

Reader in Visual Cultures/On sabbatical for 2025-26

Department

Visual Cultures

Email

l.j.turner (@gold.ac.uk)

Links

Lab/research
youtube.com/watch?v=zo-8oRAvVps

Lab/research
youtube.com/watch?v=oBguK3Gtv6k&t=107s

Website
goldsmiths.academia.edu/LynnTurner

Goldsmiths Research Centres/Groups

Lynn explores how animal and sexual differences matter in visual and aural naturecultures

Lynn Turner’s research explores how animal and sexual differences matter in visual and aural naturecultures through drawing on continental philosophy, literature and psychoanalysis.

She was the co-Head of Department of Visual Cultures 2022-2025.

Academic qualifications

PhD Cultural Studies (University of Leeds) 2002
MA Cultural Studies (University of Leeds 1995
BA (Hons.) Fine Art (Newcastle Polytechnic - now the University of Northumbria) 1990

Teaching and supervision

She has taught modules on sexual poetics and the animal question in visual culture as well as contributing to core delivery on the history of art and visual culture.

Being part of the department’s research clusters on ‘Environmental Humanities and Ecologies,’ ‘Sexes, Genders, Genres,’ and ‘Philosophy, Critical and Visual Theory,’ Dr Lynn Turner currently supervises doctoral theses on: lubrication, surrogacy, breath, hysteria and yoga. She welcomes proposals for research on deconstruction; animal studies; plant studies; feminist philosophy; contemporary visual culture; aural culture particularly the voice/speech relation, and science fiction.

She has examined PhD theses at Goldsmiths, Westminster, the Courtauld, UCL, Cardiff, Kingston, Linköping (Sweden) and Turku (Finland).

Research interests

She is the editor of Erotics of Deconstruction: Auto-affection after Derrida (EUP, 2024); author of Poetics of Deconstruction: on the threshold of differences (Bloomsbury, 2020); co-editor, with Undine Sellbach and Ron Broglio, of The Edinburgh Companion to Animal Studies (EUP, 2018), editor of The Animal Question in Deconstruction (EUP, 2013), co-author, with Astrid Schmetterling, of Visual Cultures As... Recollection (Sternberg, 2013) and co-editor, with Lindsay Kelley, of a special issue of parallax called 'bon appetit,' (2013).

Lynn is developing a further monograph with the working title of Consanguineous: essays on art, literature and the living, and would love to have the research time for another book between botany, art history, theology and philosophy on fig leaves.

She is one of the assistant editors of Derrida Today and sits on the board of several book series as well as Goldsmiths Press.

Featured publications

2024: Erotics of Deconstruction: Auto-Affection After Derrida

2020: Poetics of Deconstruction: on the threshold of differences

2018: The Edinburgh Companion to Animal Studies

2021: How like a (fig) leaf: supplanting shame, growing differences

2016: Critical Companions: Derrida, Haraway & Other Animals

Grants and awards

2007: AHRC Research Leave Scheme

2010: BA Overseas Travel Grant

Publications and research outputs

Book

Poetics of Deconstruction: On the Threshold of Differences Turner, Lynn . 2020. Poetics of Deconstruction: On the Threshold of Differences. London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781350128590
Visual Cultures As Recollection Schmetterling, Astrid ; and Turner, Lynn . 2013. Visual Cultures As Recollection. Berlin: Sternberg Press. ISBN 978-3-943365-40-5

Edited Book

Erotics of Deconstruction: Auto-Affection After Derrida Turner, Lynn , ed. 2024. Erotics of Deconstruction: Auto-Affection After Derrida. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781399539739
The Edinburgh Companion to Animal Studies Turner, Lynn ; Sellbach, Undine; and Broglio, Ron, eds. 2018. The Edinburgh Companion to Animal Studies. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474418416
The Animal Question in Deconstruction Turner, Lynn , ed. 2013. The Animal Question in Deconstruction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748683123

Edited Journal

Bon Appetit Turner, Lynn ; and Kelley, Lindsay, eds. 2013. Bon Appetit, Parallax, 19(1). 1353-4645
Random Figures Turner, Lynn ; Swiboda, Marcel; and Simonds, Cylena, eds. 2002. Random Figures, Parallax, 8(1). 1353-4645
‘Immanent Trajectories’ Turner, Lynn ; Swiboda, Marcel; and Simonds, Cylena, eds. 2001. ‘Immanent Trajectories’, Parallax, 7(4). 1353-4645

Book Section

Le devenir littéraire du clitoridien : l’inclination de la différence sexuelle d’après Artemisia Gentileschi Turner, Lynn . 2026. Le devenir littéraire du clitoridien : l’inclination de la différence sexuelle d’après Artemisia Gentileschi. In: Marie Gandt and Apostolos Lampropolous, eds. Repenser la différance sexuelle. Paris: Editions Hermann.
Resistencia sanguínea: Soñando un futuro para la sangre Turner, Lynn . 2025. Resistencia sanguínea: Soñando un futuro para la sangre. In: UNSPECIFIED, ed. Derridian (In)Politicities. Peripheral Readings of Deconstruction in the Streets. Buenos Aires: Ubu Ediciones, pp. 197-218.
Red Threads Turner, Lynn . 2025. Red Threads. In: Sonja Lau, ed. Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!: towards a feminist criminology. Berlin: Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien.

Lapping it up: an introduction for these erotics of deconstruction Turner, Lynn . 2024. Lapping it up: an introduction for these erotics of deconstruction. In: Lynn Turner, ed. Erotics of Deconstruction: Auto-Affection After Derrida. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781399539739
Sanguine Resistance: dreaming of a future for blood Turner, Lynn . 2024. Sanguine Resistance: dreaming of a future for blood. In: Lynn Turner, ed. Erotics of Deconstruction: Auto-Affection After Derrida. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781399539739
How like a (Fig) leaf Turner, Lynn . 2020. How like a (Fig) leaf. In: UNSPECIFIED, ed. Beyond Plant Blindness: Seeing the importance of plants for a sustainable world. Berlin: Green Box Publishing. ISBN 978-3-96216-001-2
Carefree: Scenographies of Care Turner, Lynn . 2020. Carefree: Scenographies of Care. In: Rebecca Jagoe and Sharon Kivland, eds. On Care. London: Ma Bibliothèque, pp. 237-241. ISBN 9781910055717
Voice Turner, Lynn . 2018. Voice. In: Lynn Turner; Undine Sellbach and Ron Broglio, eds. The Edinburgh Companion to Animal Studies. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474418416
Introducing The Edinburgh Companion to Animal Studies Turner, Lynn ; Broglio, Ronald; and Sellbach, Undine. 2018. Introducing The Edinburgh Companion to Animal Studies. In: UNSPECIFIED, ed. The Edinburgh Companion to Animal Studies. (592) Edinburgh, Scotland.: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 1-12. ISBN 1474418414
Telefoam: species on the shores of Cixous and Derrida Turner, Lynn . 2016. Telefoam: species on the shores of Cixous and Derrida. In: Stefan Herbrechter; Ivan Callus and Manuela Rossini, eds. European Posthumanism. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 56-69. ISBN 9781138675780
Fort Spa: In at the Deep End with Derrida and Ferenczi Turner, Lynn . 2015. Fort Spa: In at the Deep End with Derrida and Ferenczi. In: Simon Morgan Wortham and Chiara Alfano, eds. Desire in Ashes: Deconstruction, Psychoanalysis, Philosophy. London: Bloomsbury Academic, pp. 103-119. ISBN 9781472533517
‘Animal Melancholia: on the scent of Dean Spanley’ Turner, Lynn . 2015. ‘Animal Melancholia: on the scent of Dean Spanley’. In: Michael Lawrence and Laura McMahon, eds. Animal Life and the Moving Image. London: British Film Institute/Bloomsbury, pp. 134-151. ISBN 9781844578993
Critical Companions: Derrida, Haraway & Other Animals Turner, Lynn . 2015. Critical Companions: Derrida, Haraway & Other Animals. In: Julian Wolfreys, ed. Introducing Criticism in the 21st Century, 2nd Edition. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748695294
Insect Asides Turner, Lynn . 2013. Insect Asides. In: UNSPECIFIED, ed. The Animal Question in Deconstuction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 54-69. ISBN 0748683135
Fort-dancing Turner, Lynn . 2010. Fort-dancing. In: UNSPECIFIED, ed. BA Fine Art & History of Art degree show catalogue 2010. London: Goldsmiths, pp. 5-7. ISBN 978-1-906897-04-8
The course of a general displacement, or, The course of the choreographer Turner, Lynn . 2009. The course of a general displacement, or, The course of the choreographer. In: Martin McQuillan and Ika Willis, eds. The Origins of Deconstruction. Basingstoke: Palgrave, pp. 50-66. ISBN 9780230581906
Seeks-Zoos: some recent correspondence between animals Turner, Lynn . 2009. Seeks-Zoos: some recent correspondence between animals. In: Johnny Golding, ed. The Issues in Contemporary Culture & Aesthetics. 2-3 University of Greenwich, pp. 10-21.
Des Jeunes Nées : for a confusion of the tongue, the lip, and the rim Turner, Lynn . 2005. Des Jeunes Nées : for a confusion of the tongue, the lip, and the rim. In: Johnny Golding, ed. The Issues: In Contemporary Culture and Aesthetics. (1) Nerve Ltd, pp. 171-178. ISBN 0955003709

Article

Ray of Light Turner, Lynn . 2025. Ray of Light. Textual Practice, 39(4), pp. 648-652. ISSN 0950-236X
Saying Ceanothus: The Indefinite Garden Turner, Lynn . 2025. Saying Ceanothus: The Indefinite Garden. Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture(66), pp. 166-179. ISSN 1756-9575
Flair du temps Turner, Lynn . 2025. Flair du temps. A Posteriori(36),

Conference or Workshop Item

The becoming literary of the clitoral: sexual differance after Artemisia Gentileschi Turner, Lynn . 2023. 'The becoming literary of the clitoral: sexual differance after Artemisia Gentileschi'. In: Rethinking Sexual Differance. Université Bordeaux Montaigne, France 22-24 November 2023.
Ray of Light Turner, Lynn . 2023. 'Ray of Light'. In: Nicholas Royle: A Symposium. University of Sussex, United Kingdom 23 June 2023.
Sanguine Resistance: dreaming of a future for blood Turner, Lynn . 2022. 'Sanguine Resistance: dreaming of a future for blood'. In: 7th Derrida Today Conference. Arizona State University (ASU) Barbara Barrett and Sandra Day O’Connor Washington Center, Washington, D.C., United States 12-15 June 2022.

Lit: sexual poetics of sanguine resistance Turner, Lynn . 2020. 'Lit: sexual poetics of sanguine resistance'. In: 7th Derrida Today Conference. Aix-Marseille Université, Aix-en-Provence, France 10-13 June 2020.
In lieu of conclusion: cardio-pedagogy in Derrida and White God Turner, Lynn . 2019. 'In lieu of conclusion: cardio-pedagogy in Derrida and White God'. In: Tahiti 8: National Conference of Art History in Finland From Material to Immaterial: Art Historical Practices in the Contemporary World. University of Turku, Finland 27-29 November 2019.
‘How like a (Fig) leaf: supplanting shame’ Turner, Lynn . 2019. '‘How like a (Fig) leaf: supplanting shame’'. In: SLSA 2019: 33rd Annual Conference of the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts. UC Irvine, United States 7-9 November 2019.
Raising Animals: two powers of horror between the cellar and the kennel Turner, Lynn . 2019. 'Raising Animals: two powers of horror between the cellar and the kennel'. In: Gender Studies meets Human-Animal Studies lecture series. Humboldt, Germany 16 April - 9 July 2019.
Raising animals: the becoming-time of space between cellar and kennel Turner, Lynn . 2019. 'Raising animals: the becoming-time of space between cellar and kennel'. In: SpaceTime, Society of Literature, Science and the Arts (EU). Athens, Greece 25-28 June 2019.
Living Extinctions: Visual Cultures Public Programme Autumn Term 2019 Roberdeau, Wood ; and Turner, Lynn . 2019. 'Living Extinctions: Visual Cultures Public Programme Autumn Term 2019'. In: Living Extinctions: Visual Cultures Public Programme Autumn Term 2019. Goldsmiths, University of London, United Kingdom 4 October - 12 December 2019.
How like a (fig) leaf Turner, Lynn . 2018. 'How like a (fig) leaf'. In: Beyond Plant Blindness: Where can a single plant take you?. University of Gothenburg, Sweden 10 November 2018.
Red: the cardio-pedagogy of White God Turner, Lynn . 2018. 'Red: the cardio-pedagogy of White God'. In: 'Green' Society for Literature, Science & the Arts - EU (SLSA-eu). University of Copenhagen, United Kingdom 13 - 16 June 2018.
In lieu of conclusion: the bloodless coups of White God Turner, Lynn . 2018. 'In lieu of conclusion: the bloodless coups of White God'. In: Derrida Today 6. Concordia University, Canada 23-26 May 2018.
‘Give them some more time’: the ends of sacrifice in White God Turner, Lynn . 2017. '‘Give them some more time’: the ends of sacrifice in White God'. In: Out of Time, SLSA annual conference. Arizona State University, United States 9-12 November 2017.
Sacrifice and Decision: cinematic carnophallogocentrism Turner, Lynn . 2017. 'Sacrifice and Decision: cinematic carnophallogocentrism'. In: The Political Animal. The Showroom, London, United Kingdom 2 Sept 2017.
Podcasting: The Becoming-Space of Voices’ Turner, Lynn . 2017. 'Podcasting: The Becoming-Space of Voices’'. In: Wild Minds. ICA, London, United Kingdom 31 March 2017.
The Oestrus Complex: soliciting the sexual contract of whale song Turner, Lynn . 2017. 'The Oestrus Complex: soliciting the sexual contract of whale song'. In: Animal Utterances. University of Bristol, United Kingdom 25-26 May 2016.
Voice (podcasting) Turner, Lynn . 2016. 'Voice (podcasting)'. In: Derrida Today. Goldsmiths, United Kingdom 08-11 June 2016.
Derrida Today Turner, Lynn ; and Anderson, Nicole. 2016. 'Derrida Today'. In: Derrida Today. Goldsmiths, United Kingdom 8-11 June 2016.
Fort Spa: Biopoetics in Elizabeth A. Wilson, Sandor Ferenczi & Jacques Derrida Turner, Lynn . 2015. 'Fort Spa: Biopoetics in Elizabeth A. Wilson, Sandor Ferenczi & Jacques Derrida'. In: 'After Biopolitics' Society for Literature, Science and the Arts, SLSA. Rice University, United States.
Critical Environments: Visual Cultures Public Programme Spring Term 2015 Roberdeau, Wood ; and Turner, Lynn . 2015. 'Critical Environments: Visual Cultures Public Programme Spring Term 2015'. In: Critical Environments: Visual Cultures Public Programme Spring Term 2015. Goldsmiths, University of London, United Kingdom January-March 2015.
Telefoam Turner, Lynn . 2014. 'Telefoam'. In: 4th Derrida Today conference. Fordham University, United States 28 May - 31 May 2014.
Insect Asides (Deconstruction is/in Performance Philosophy) Turner, Lynn . 2013. 'Insect Asides (Deconstruction is/in Performance Philosophy)'. In: What is Performance Philosophy?. University of Surrey, United Kingdom.
Secrets and Lies: eating in the darkness in China Mieville's Embassytown Turner, Lynn . 2012. 'Secrets and Lies: eating in the darkness in China Mieville's Embassytown'. In: Cosmopolitan Animals. UCL, United Kingdom.
'Tape' plays Teletribunals Turner, Lynn . 2011. ''Tape' plays Teletribunals'. In: Legal media: a colloquium in memory of Cornelia Vismann. Showroom, London, United Kingdom 10-11 June 2011.
Two genetically modified films Turner, Lynn . 2011. 'Two genetically modified films'. In: Life Itself. Goldsmiths, London, United Kingdom 28 January 2011.
Homing pigeon: the postal principle and Lynn Hershmann's 'Conceiving Ada' Turner, Lynn . 2010. 'Homing pigeon: the postal principle and Lynn Hershmann's 'Conceiving Ada''. In: Derrida Today. London, United Kingdom 19-21 July 2010.
Telecommunications: the undoing of DNA Turner, Lynn . 2009. 'Telecommunications: the undoing of DNA'. In: 7th European Feminist Research Conference. Utrecht, Netherlands 4-7 June 2009.

Audio

PAPERWEIGHT RADIO: ANIMALS (S2, EP2) Turner, Lynn . 2014. PAPERWEIGHT RADIO: ANIMALS (S2, EP2).

Guerrilla Gardening

While my blog is quite outdated - http://guerillere.blogspot.com/ - there is a lot there documenting South London guerrilla planting, about which I have been interviewed by students from various disciplines. My greening practices today are mostly linked with the St John's Society's greening group and the Friendly St Gardens in Deptford.