The clown and the king: the creative writing higher degree by research (HDR) thesis with embedded performative exegesis as carnivalised literature

Bakhtin describes the heteroglot novel, within which competing social discourses are rehearsed, as the archetype of carnivalised literature. Carnivalised literature collapses discursive hierarchies to undermine dominant social narratives. The creative writing higher degree by research (HDR) thesis with an embedded performative exegesis, which performs research findings using the codes and conventions of creative writing, is an example of heteroglot, carnivalised literature. In recent history in the academy, academic writing has been perceived as not only distinct from creative writing, but also better for creating and communicating research findings. The creative writing HDR creative artefact with an embedded performative exegesis collapses this hierarchy and interrogates the historical, generic, and artificial distinctions between academic and creative writing. It does this by producing hybrid, double-voiced discourse: single utterances that perform both academic and creative ‘work’ and are underpinned by the social discourses that inform both academic and creative practice.