Kylie Ryan

Kylie is a Creative Writing PhD candidate who has qualifications and professional experience in journalism, professional writing and education. Most recently she has taught English language and literature, Media Studies and other research and performance-related subjects in secondary schools (private and public) for 15 years and lectured extensively in education at both Adelaide University and the University of South Australia (UniSA). As Vice-President of the South Australian English Teachers' Association (SAETA), she convened and presented at National and State English education conferences, providing education professionals with up-to-date research and resources in the field.

Prior to secondary teaching, Kylie was a Journalism academic (full-time/contract) at UniSA, lecturing and tutoring in theoretical and practical courses such as the critical literacy-related fields of rhetoric and semiology; journalism contexts and ethics; radio broadcasting; and writing for print. 

Her current PhD involves the writing of a fictocritical and autobiografictional novel that reveals the compounded challenges of stepfamily dynamics and grief. The accompanying thesis explores the two writing genres and how they can be used to effectively communicate the novel’s themes. Sub-themes include: the impact of the wicked stepmother mythos on blended family dynamics; the socially isolating and solitary reality of stepparenting grieving children who have lost a biological mother; identifying the gap in advisory literature that addresses stepparenting and grief; an exploration of how the plaiting of academic and narrative genres can effectively and meaningfully communicate sensitive issues; practice-led research; and serendipity as a research method in creative writing practice.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

Current:

Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE) - Vice President (SA Branch)

Golden Key International Honour Society

AAWP (Australasian Association of Writing Programs)

ASA (Australian Society of Authors)

Writer's SA

APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society)

Past:

Australian Teachers of Media Association SA – Vice-Chair and founding member (2020-2022)

Media Educators Group – association member (2015-2018)

Indonesian Teachers Association of SA (INTAN) – committee member (2010-2011)

Radio Adelaide - News Presenter, Producer and Program Presenter (2005-2011)