About Me

As British/Dutch scholar with Dutch Caribbean family ties, but raised in England, I attended university at Durham (BSc Hons Archaeology, First Class) and Bradford (MSc Human Osteology and Palaeopathology, Distinction) before becoming a PhD student at Kent. My academic degrees were supported by various funding bodies including the Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK), the University of Kent Centre for Heritage, and the Society for Latin American Studies (UK).

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Having spent most of my doctoral degree living and working in The Netherlands, I received my PhD in the interdisciplinary study of the lifeways of enslaved people in the Dutch Caribbean from the University of Kent in 2019. My book Slaafgemaakt: Rethinking Enslavement in the Dutch Caribbean, published in 2020 by Common Ground Research Networks, presents my doctoral research results for a general audience. I have also published several journal articles and book chapters in English, Dutch, and Papiamentu.

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Additionally, I have an extensive background in archaeological fieldwork, having been involved in excavations since the age of 16. I have been employed by commercial companies in England, Wales, and The Netherlands, as well as holding regular summer teaching positions at archaeological field schools for the universities of Durham, Reading, and Oxford.

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My current research at the University of Copenhagen explores interisland connections in the Lesser Antilles in the early 19th century, particularly how rumour, trade, and print culture helped to create this region as a social space. These topics align with my enduring interest in examining the pressures placed on individuals by power imbalances and exploitation, and in exploring creativity and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.