Ali Alizadeh

I am a literary writer and theorist. Among my books are the historical novel The Last Days of Jeanne d'Arc (Giramondo, 2017), the short-story cycle Transactions (UQP, 2013), the collection of poetry Ashes in the Air (UQP, 2011) and a work of creative non-fiction, Iran, My Grandfather (Transit Lounge, 2010). My latest book is a philosophical study, titled Marx and Art (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).

My writings have been described as 'miraculous', 'beautifully twisted', 'harrowing' and 'hilarious'. Both my creative writing and my literary scholarship interrogate the collisions between the political and the personal. Radical subjectivity, philosophy of history and theories of art are of particular interest to me.

I currently coordinate two undergraduate units at Monash, 'Literary Theory' and 'Writing in Australia'. I supervise postgraduate projects in creative writing, Marxist theory and contemporary literature.

Creative Writing

I am interested in both the theory and practice of creative writing. My work as a writer as well as a researcher and research supervisor includes poetry, fiction and literary non-fiction. I am particularly interested in new writing projects which cross formal and thematic boundaries, and aim at inventing provocative new ways of writing.

Radical Thinkers

My current creative and critical work draws on the philosophy of thinkers associated with the Marxist tradition, from Karl Marx to Alain Badiou and beyond. 

Literature and Politics

I am interested in documenting and exploring literary works from all periods in history which oppose the discourses of the ruling classes. I like examining the ways in which radical writers treat themes such as history, the nation, class, power and ideology.