Sophie Thompson

My PhD thesis, provisionally entitled ‘Socialists of the Future: Childhood and Environment in Fin-de-siècle Socialist Literature’, examines the representation of childhood in writings by socialist authors from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, including E. Nesbit and H. G. Wells. 

My project explores how socialist representations of childhood during this period relate to emerging environmental concerns, such as industrialisation, the (im)moral influence of environment, and the welfare state. I consider socialist discourses of the period around the ideal home and rearing of children, the duties and function of the parent, and an underlying belief in the possibility of building a utopia through the raising of socialist children. It is funded by a CHASE AHRC studentship.

I have been a board member of Romance, Revolution and Reform since 2022, serving as Deputy/Reviews Editor for its seventh issue (2024–25) and Editor-in-Chief for its eighth issue (2025–26). 

Theories of child development; child’s play and games; parents and parenting; children’s spaces, such as the nursery and the garden; utopia; the Fabian Society; the late Victorian and early twentieth century or Arts and Crafts home; and William Morris and other radical late nineteenth century artists and designers. 

Dr Sara Lyons