College of Humanities and Social Sciences staff

Dr Kim Worthington staff profile picture

Contact details +6469517495

Dr Kim Worthington

Senior Lecturer

Doctoral Mentor Supervisor
School of Humanities Media and Creative Comm

Kim's current research focuses on questions to do with confession, apology, forgiveness, amnesty and reconciliation and their relationship to contemporary politics and literature. This work develops theoretical and critical insights drawn from the work of Paul Ricoeur, Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas and J.M. Coetzee, among others. In many respects, Kim's current research interests are an extension of her earlier work on narrative ethics and subjectivity (see, for example, her book Self as Narrative: Subjectivity and Community in Contemporary Fiction: Clarendon, 1996). In recent years she has published book chapters and journal articles on novels by Ian McEwan, J.M. Coetzee and Bernhard Schlink.  Recent conference papers include presentations on writing by Antjie Krog, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and Jaspreet Singh.

Between 2001 and 2007, Kim worked as a consultant and writer in commercial and governmental sectors. She produced many publications during this time, often under psuedonyms, not listed (obviously) in her academic publication record.  This information is provided in explanation of the lack of publications evident in her academic record during these years.

Kim is the coordinator of several of papers in the School's undergraduate and postgraduate programmes: 139, 105 (Fiction); 139.210 (Rewriting Classic Fiction), 139.352 (Postcolonial Literature) and 139.725 (The Post-Romantic Subject). She co-teaches 139.139 (Introduction to English Studies) and 139.703 (Critical and Creative Research). She acted as Postgraduate Programme Coordinator for the School of English and Media Studies at Massey University until Dec 2014 and supervises Honours, Masters and Doctoral research. She is currently supervising five PhD students.

Kim is an appointed convenor for Massey University doctoral oral examinations, in a wide range of disciplinary areas.  She is currently an elected member of the College Board, College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

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Professional

Contact details

  • Ph: +64 6 356 9099 ex 84495
    Location: 4.48, Sir Geoffrey Peren Building
    Campus: Manawatu

Certifications and Registrations

  • Licence, Mentor Supervisor, Massey University

Research Expertise

Research Interests

Contemporary World Literature (particularly fiction); Literary Theory (particularly ethics); Postcolonial Theory.

Thematics

21st Century Citizenship

Area of Expertise

Field of research codes
Comparative Literature Studies (200524): Languages, Communication And Culture (200000): Literary Studies (200500): Literary Theory (200525)

Research Outputs

Journal

Ghaffari, S., & Worthington, K. (2020). Muslim Author Response to 9/11 Fiction. Waikato Islamic Studies Review. 6(1), 21-32
[Journal article]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, K. (2019). "Women past and present.". New Zealand Review of Books Pukapuka Aotearoa. 29(126), 24-25Retreived from https://nzbooks.org.nz/2019/non-fiction/women-past-and-present-kim-worthington/
[Book Review]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Lawn, J., Bortolotto, MC., Worthington, K., & Meek, A. (2016). Introduction: The limits of responsibility. Borderlands e-Journal : New Spaces in the Humanities. 14(2), 1-14
[Journal article]Authored by: Bortolotto, M., Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2014). Charlotte Randall, The Bright Side of my Condition. New Zealand Books. 24.1(105), 25-25Retreived from http://nzbooks.org.nz/2014/contents/issue-105-contents/
[Book Review]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2013). Book Review: The lonely and the alone by Doreen D'Cruz and John Ross. Style. 47(4), 549-557Retreived from https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/style.47.4.549?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
[Book Review]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Meffan, J., & Worthington, KL. (2013). The hollowness of english? A case for narratology. Australian Literary Studies. 28(1-2), 111-124 Retrieved from https://www.australianliterarystudies.com.au/articles/the-hollowness-of-english-a-case-for-narratology
[Journal article]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2011). "'A place where bodies are their own signs': Re-reading J.M. Coetzee's Foe via Gubar, Spivak, Parry and Levinas". Philia & Filia. 2(1), 5-40 Retrieved from http://seer.ufrgs.br/Philiaefilia/issue/view/1506/showToc
[Journal article]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2011). Suturing the wound: Derrida's "On Forgiveness" and Schlink's The Reader. Comparative Literature. 63(2), 203-224
[Journal article]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2008). Framing herself. New Zealand Books. 18, No.2(82), 7-8
[Journal article]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2008). C.K. Stead: In person or impersonation?. Landfall. 216, 164-168
[Journal article]Authored by: Worthington, K.

Book

Worthington, KL. (2021). Conversing with spectres: Secrets and ghosts in Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Refugees*. In Secrecy and Community in 21st-Century Fiction. (pp. 207 - 224).
[Chapter]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Nazir, B., Holm, N., & Worthington, KL. (2018). Brand Pakistan: Global imaginings and national concerns in Pakistani anglophone literature. In Routledge Companion to Pakistani Anglophone Writing. (pp. 335 - 347).
[Chapter]Authored by: Holm, N., Worthington, K.
Allen, N., Beausoleil, E., Bignall, S., Meek, A., Meffan, J., & Pino-Ojeda, W. (2015). The limits of responsibility. J. Lawn, MC. Bortolotto, K. Worthington, & A. Meek (Eds.) (Vol. 4) ,on-line: Anthony Burke University of Adelaide (Australia)
[Scholarly edition]Authored by: Bortolotto, M.Edited by: Bortolotto, M., Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2015). Um lugar onde os corpos são os seus próprios signos: uma releitura de Foe, de J. M. Coetzee, via Gubar, Spivak, Parry e Levinas. In K. Rosenfield, & LF. Pereira (Eds.) Lendo J. M. Coetzee. (pp. 51 - 86). Santa Maria, Brazil: Editora UFSM
[Chapter]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2013). Creative confession: Self-writing, forgiveness and ethics in Ian McEwan's Atonement. In C. Holler, & M. Klepper (Eds.) Rethinking Narrative Identity. (pp. 147 - 169). : John Benjamins Publishing
[Chapter]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2011). Age of Iron. In T. Mehigan (Ed.) A Companion to the Works of J.M. Coetzee. (pp. 113 - 131). Rochester, NY: Camden House
[Chapter]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Baker, W., Womack, K., Saxon, T., Worthington, KL., Fischer, O., Decker, J., . . . Lindner, C. (Eds.) (2006). New literatures: Chapter 17 in: The years work in English studies. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press
[Edited Book]Edited by: Worthington, K.
Meffan, J., & Worthington, KL. (2001). "Ethics before politics: J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace.". In TF. Davis, & K. Womack (Eds.) Mapping the Ethical Turn: Ethics and Literature in New Theoretical Contexts. (pp. 131 - 150). : University of Virginia Press
[Chapter]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL.(1996). Self As Narrative: Subjectivity and Community in Contemporary Fiction. : Oxford University Press on Demand
[Authored Book]Authored by: Worthington, K.

Conference

Meffan, J., & Worthington, KL.Reading as dialogue: Against gender. . Prato, Italy
[Conference Paper]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL.Worthington, KL. (2012, December). ‘Is this personal?’ Performing Apology and Confession in South Africa’s TRC and Antjie Krog’s Country of My Skull. Presented at The Limits of Responsibility, Massey University 3-5 Dec 2013: Massey University.. . Massey University
[Conference Paper]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2014, July). Confronting a Forgotten Past: Shame, Guilt and Blame in Jaspreet Singh's Helium. Presented at Literature and Affect. University of Melbourne.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL.(2014, July). Confronting a forgotten past: Shame, guilt and blame in Jaspreet Singh's Helium. . Retreived from https://australasianassociationforliterature.org/program/
[Conference]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2012, December). ‘Is this personal?’ Performing Apology and Confession in South Africa’s TRC and Antjie Krog’s Country of My Skull. Presented at The Limits of Responsibility, Massey University 3-5 Dec 2013:. Massey University.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2011, November). "Forgetting to Remember? Confession, amnesty and national narrative in South Africa's TRC." Citizenship in an Era of Global Crisis Conference. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 28-30 Nov 2011.. Presented at Citizenship in an Era of Global Crisis Conference
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL."Forgetting to remember? Confession, amnesty and national narrative in South Africa’s TRC". . Otago University
[Conference Paper]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL.(2011). Forgetting to Remember? Confession, amnesty and national narrative in South Africa's TRC. . University of Otago, Dundein, New Zealand
[Conference Paper]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL."Cofessional self-narration: the limits of perspective and forgiveness in Ian McEwan's Atonement". . Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin
[Conference Paper]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2008, December). Derrida’s ‘On Forgiveness and Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader.. Presented at Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Continental Philosophy: The Post/Human Condition. University of Auckland.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL.Written, Silenced and Reading Subjects: Gubar, Spivak (and Levinas). . Turitea Campus, Massey University, Palmerston North
[Conference Paper]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL.(2008). A prohibition on the question why: Derrida's on forgiveness and the ethics of holocaust representation. . University of Auckland, NZ
[Conference Paper]Authored by: Worthington, K.

Other

Worthington, KL. (2011). "Writers are not Whales". Review of Janet Frame's In Her Own Words. (pp. 36 - 37).
[Other]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, K. (2009, October). A prohibition on the question 'Why?'. Lecturer given in the Massey University Humanities and Social Sciences Lecture Series. Presented at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2008). "Spark of Life." Review of Emma Neale's Spark.
[Other]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2008). "On the Road to Menton." Review of Fiona Kidman's At the End of Darwin Road. (pp. 40 - 40). New Zealand Magazines (APN Specialist Publications NZ Limited)
[Other]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2007). Review of Jenny Bornholdt's Mrs Winter's Jump and Elizabeth Smithers's The Year of Adverbs. (pp. 24 - 24). Fairfax Media
[Other]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2007). "Rose-tinted spectacles". Review of Sarah Laing's Coming up Roses. (pp. 20 - 20). Fairfax Media
[Other]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2007). "Reframing Frame." Review of Janet Frame's Towards Another Summer. (pp. 18 - 18). Fairfax Media
[Other]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2007, December). Ethics and forgiveness in postcolonial contexts. In Postcolonial Studies Research Network. Presented at University of Otago, NZ.
[Oral Presentation]Authored by: Worthington, K.
Worthington, KL. (2006). Review of Patricia Grace's Small Holes in the Silence. (pp. 16 - 16). Fairfax Media
[Other]Authored by: Worthington, K.

Teaching and Supervision

Summary of Doctoral Supervision

Position Current Completed
Main Supervisor 1 4
Co-supervisor 1 1

Current Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • Shahid Shahid - Doctor of Philosophy
    The Representation of Nature in South Asian Children’s Literature in English: A comparative study of colonial and postcolonial texts

Co-supervisor of:

  • Nikite Krishnamurthy - Doctor of Philosophy
    The Nation Imagined: A Critical Study of Nationhood and Identity through the Cover Art of Indian Speculative Literature.

Completed Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • 2024 - Somayyeh Ghaffari - Doctor of Philosophy
    Precarious Citizens: A comparative analysis of the representation of Muslims and radicalisation in post-9/11 fiction
  • 2020 - Barirah Nazir - Doctor of Philosophy
    Brand Pakistan: A Reception oriented Study of Pakistani Anglophone Fiction
  • 2019 - Noor Fatima - Doctor of Philosophy
    Once Upon a Time in the Land of Five Rivers: A Comparative Analysis of Translated Punjabi Folk Tale Editions, from Flora Annie Steel’s Colonial Work to Shafi Aqeel’s Post-Partition Collection and Beyond
  • 2019 - Shazrah Salam - Doctor of Philosophy
    Imposed Silences, Subversive Voices: (Re)Reading Selected Pakistani Anglophone Writing through the Bodies of Pakistani-Muslim Women

Co-supervisor of:

  • 2019 - Timothy Upperton - Doctor of Philosophy
    The Lyric “I” and the Anti-Confessionalism of Frederick Seidel