Julia Peetz, PhD, is an author and academic in London, UK.
Her work addresses questions of political representation, democracy, and performance – particularly in the context of the U.S. presidency and in Anglo-American relations. She currently teaches at the University of Warwick.
Sole-authored monograph
Edinburgh University Press, 2023
Available in paperback from February 2025!
Combines theoretical argument and original interviews with leaders in U.S. presidential speechwriting
Proposes a new perspective on the contemporary rise of mainstreamed populism by exploring features of populist-style politics through the lens of distrust
Interdisciplinary exploration of the role and function of performance in representative democracy that fully integrates politics and theatre/performance perspectives
Focuses on U.S. presidential politics since Watergate, whilst contextualizing recent developments through historical case studies from the French Revolution to early and turn-of-the-century American presidents
Presents protest as a complex, variegated and geographically extensive field
24 contributions explore aspects of both left-wing and right-wing protest
Covers protests in the United States, Latin America, China & Hong Kong, Poland, Italy, India, Iran, the UK, Germany, South Africa, and more
Partial Focus on digitisation and gamification of protest
Double issue of Performance Research, 2023
New chapter in the volume Bodies, Space Claims:
The Theory and Practice of Performing Political Representation
Explains how and why political myth and mythmaking matter in political representation
Myths are considered not as lies to be debunked but as narratives that generate meaning and significance
Examines myths of the ‘Founding Fathers’ through several case studies: Pres. Biden’s Inaugural Address, the hit musical Hamilton, Mitch McConnell on statue protests, and judicial originalism
Volume edited by Profs. Paula Diehl (Kiel University) and Michael Saward (University of Warwick)
Oxford University Press, December 2024