Staff profile

Biography and Research

I am a social and cultural geographer interested in encounterable life and the geographies of difference with a particular focus on contested forms of coexistence.

My current research focuses on the social, cultural and political dimensions of more-than-human cities and the ethical questions and challenges that are posed by species on the move. These questions are explored in depth through my work on urban kittiwakes in the UK and Norway, which examines the growth of seabird colonies in urban areas, the implications for urban planning and community, and how the presence of oceanic species are changing the way that we think about cities, threatened species, and coastal geographies. As part of this work, I am involved in collaborations with marine ecologists and anthropologists.

My interest in the contested politics of coexistence builds on my wider research around the geographies of encounter, the politics of tolerance, and manifestations of conflict that fold in questions of race, culture and species. It asks how people learn to live with difference in diverse contexts.

My recent book Robin offers a social and cultural history of the robin, cutting across varied geographies, folklore, art, literature and the ambivalent histories of the colour red. It is part of Reaktion’s Animal Series.

Prior to joining the department in 2017, I held lectureships and teaching positions at the University of Hull and Durham University and was a senior lecturer at the University of Manchester. I completed a BA, MA, and PhD (2011) at Durham University.

Keywords: encounterable life; difference; cities; affect and emotion; cultural theory; animal studies; environmental humanities; urban theory.

• 2021: Editor: Social & Cultural Geography

Authored book

• Robin
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2022). Robin. Reaktion.

Book review

• Book review symposium: Metropolitan Preoccupations: The Spatial Politics of Squatting in Berlin
  
  Featherstone, D., Wilson, H. F., Crossan, J., & Sanyal, R. (2017). Book review symposium: Metropolitan Preoccupations: The Spatial Politics of Squatting in Berlin. Urban Studies, 54(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098016674878
• Book Review: A Women’s Berlin: Building the Modern City
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2012). Book Review: A Women’s Berlin: Building the Modern City. Urban Studies, 49(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098011425600

Chapter in book

• On the paradox of 'organised' encounter
  
  Wilson, H. F. (in press). On the paradox of ’organised’ encounter. In L. B. Christiansen, L. P. Galal, & K. Hvenegard-Lassen (Eds.), Cultural Encounters as Intervention Practices.. Routledge.
• Voluntary Spaces
  
  Farías, M., & Wilson, H. F. (2020). Voluntary Spaces. In H. F. Wilson & J. Darling (Eds.), Research Ethics for Human Geography: A Handbook for Students. SAGE Publications.
• Data Management
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2020). Data Management. In H. F. Wilson & J. Darling (Eds.), Research Ethics for Human Geography. SAGE Publications.
• Anonymity
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2020). Anonymity. In H. F. Wilson & J. Darling (Eds.), Research Ethics for Human Geography. SAGE Publications.
• Geography and Ethics
  
  Darling, J., & Wilson, H. F. (2020). Geography and Ethics. In H. F. Wilson & J. Darling (Eds.), Research Ethics for Human Geography. SAGE Publications.
• Participatory Approaches
  
  Lobo, M., Kelly, D., & Wilson, H. F. (2020). Participatory Approaches. In H. F. Wilson & J. Darling (Eds.), Research Ethics for Human Geography. SAGE Publications.
• Building Coalitions: Solidarities, friendships, and tackling inequality.
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2017). Building Coalitions: Solidarities, friendships, and tackling inequality. In S. Oosterlynck, N. Schuermans, & M. Loopmans (Eds.), Place, Diversity and Solidarity (pp. 51-70). Routledge.
• Encounters.
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2016). Encounters. In M. Jayne & K. Ward (Eds.), Urban Theory: New Critical Perspectives. (pp. 109-121). Routledge.
• Encountering Havana: texts, aesthetics, and documentary encounters.
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2016). Encountering Havana: texts, aesthetics, and documentary encounters. In J. Darling & H. Wilson (Eds.), Encountering the City: Urban Encounters from Accra to New York. (pp. 203-220). Routledge.
• Sonic geographies, sound walks and more-than-representational methods.
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2016). Sonic geographies, sound walks and more-than-representational methods. In M. Bull & L. Back (Eds.), The Auditory Culture Reader (pp. 163-172). Bloomsbury.
• The possibilities of encounter.
  
  Wilson, H. F., & Darling, J. (2016). The possibilities of encounter. In H. F. Wilson & J. Darling (Eds.), Encountering the City: Urban Encounters from Accra to New York. (pp. 1-24). Routledge.
• Other(ed) childhoods: supplementary schools and the politics of learning
  
  Wilson, H. F., Burman, E., Miles, S., & Warren, S. (n.d.). Other(ed) childhoods: supplementary schools and the politics of learning. In N. Von Benzon & C. Wilkinson (Eds.), Intersectionality and Difference in Childhood and Youth: Global Perspectives [Contracted by publisher]. Routledge.
• Animal Encounters: a genre of contact
  
  Wilson, H. F. (n.d.). Animal Encounters: a genre of contact. In A. Bohm & J. Ullrich (Eds.), Animal Encounters: Contact, Interaction and Relationality [Contracted by publisher]. J.B.Metzler.

Edited book

• Research Ethics for Human Geography: A Handbook for Students
  
  Wilson, H. F., & Darling, J. (Eds.). (2020). Research Ethics for Human Geography: A Handbook for Students. SAGE Publications.
• Encountering the City: Urban Encounters from Accra to New York.
  
  Darling, J., & Wilson, H. F. (Eds.). (2016). Encountering the City: Urban Encounters from Accra to New York. Routledge.

Journal Article

• Urban maintenance as compromise: Coming to terms with the multispecies city
  
  Wilson, H. (2024). Urban maintenance as compromise: Coming to terms with the multispecies city. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 8(1), 232-250. https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486241280354
• Futility and environmentalism: Affective repertoires and the imposition of limits
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2024). Futility and environmentalism: Affective repertoires and the imposition of limits. New Formations, 112, 16-30. https://doi.org/10.3898/NewF%3A112.01.2024
• Coming to terms with affective infrastructure
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2023). Coming to terms with affective infrastructure. Dialogues in Human Geography, 13(1), 81-85. https://doi.org/10.1177/20438206231154347
• Arrival cities and the mobility of concepts
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2022). Arrival cities and the mobility of concepts. Urban Studies, 59(16), 3459-3468. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980221135820
• Seabirds in the city: urban futures and fraught coexistence
  
  Wilson, H. (2022). Seabirds in the city: urban futures and fraught coexistence. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 47(4), 1137-1151. https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12525
• Discomfort: Transformative encounters and social change
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2020). Discomfort: Transformative encounters and social change. Emotion, Space and Society, 37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2020.100681
• Brexit: Modes of Uncertainty and Futures in an Impasse
  
  Anderson, B., Wilson, H., Foreman, P., Heslop, J., Ormerod, E., & Maestri, G. (2020). Brexit: Modes of Uncertainty and Futures in an Impasse. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 45(2), 256-269. https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12348
• Detachment, disaffection, and other ambivalent affects
  
  Wilson, H. F., & Anderson, B. (2020). Detachment, disaffection, and other ambivalent affects. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 38(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/2399654420912445f
• The spaces and politics of affective nationalism
  
  Antonsich, M., Skey, M., Sumartojo, S., Merriman, P., Stephens, A., Tolia-Kelly, D., Wilson, H., & Anderson, B. (2020). The spaces and politics of affective nationalism. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 38(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/2399654420912445
• Contact zones: Multispecies scholarship through 'Imperial Eyes'
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2019). Contact zones: Multispecies scholarship through ’Imperial Eyes’. Environment and Planning E : Nature and Space., 2(4), 712-731. https://doi.org/10.1177/2514848619862191
• Everyday Brexits
  
  Anderson, B., & Wilson, H. (2018). Everyday Brexits. Area, 50(2), 291-295. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12385
• On the Paradox of ‘Organised’ Encounter
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2017). On the Paradox of ‘Organised’ Encounter. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 38(6), 606-620. https://doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2017.1386631
• On geography and encounter
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2017). On geography and encounter. Progress in Human Geography, 41(4), 451-471. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132516645958
• An urban laboratory for the multicultural nation?
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2015). An urban laboratory for the multicultural nation?. Ethnicities, 15(4), 586-604. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468796815577703
• The Possibilities of Tolerance: Intercultural Dialogue in a Multicultural Europe
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2014). The Possibilities of Tolerance: Intercultural Dialogue in a Multicultural Europe. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 32(5), 852-868. https://doi.org/10.1068/d13063p
• Multicultural learning: parent encounters with difference in a Birmingham primary school.
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2014). Multicultural learning: parent encounters with difference in a Birmingham primary school. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 39(1), 102-114. https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12015
• Post-socialist Cities and Urban Studies: Transformation and Continuity in Eurasia
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2013). Post-socialist Cities and Urban Studies: Transformation and Continuity in Eurasia. Urban Studies, 50(16), 3463-3471. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098013505884
• Collective life: parents, playground encounters and the multicultural city.
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2013). Collective life: parents, playground encounters and the multicultural city. Social and Cultural Geography, 14(6), 625-648. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2013.800220
• Learning to think differently: Diversity training and the ‘good encounter’
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2013). Learning to think differently: Diversity training and the ‘good encounter’. Geoforum, 45, 73-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2012.10.001
• Living with difference and the conditions for dialogue
  
  Wilson, H. (2012). Living with difference and the conditions for dialogue. Dialogues in Human Geography, 2(2), 225-227. https://doi.org/10.1177/204382061200200203
• Passing Propinquities in the Multicultural City: the everyday encounters of bus passengering
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2011). Passing Propinquities in the Multicultural City: the everyday encounters of bus passengering. Environment and Planning A, 43(3), 634-649. https://doi.org/10.1068/a43354

Other (Print)

• The rise of intolerance? Brexit and the problem with stasis
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2017). The rise of intolerance? Brexit and the problem with stasis (H. Paker, Ed.; pp. 25-27). Cosmopolitan Democracy Revisited in a World of Rising Populism, Deepening Polarisation and Rampant Neoliberalism.
• The Geography of Brexit
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2017). The Geography of Brexit. Geographical.
• BREXIT: ON THE RISE OF ‘(IN)TOLERANCE’
  
  Wilson, H. F. (2016). BREXIT: ON THE RISE OF ‘(IN)TOLERANCE’. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space (open site).