About

My name is Mattie Colquhoun [kuh-hoon] [she/they] and I am a writer and photographer from Hull, UK.

Best known for writing about the work of Mark Fisher, my first book, Egress (2020), explored questions of community and grief in the aftermath of Fisher’s death at Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2017. I have since edited Fisher’s Postcapitalist Desire lectures (2021) and contributed various introductory essays to reissues and translations of his works.

My most recent book, Narcissus in Bloom (2023), reconsiders the history of the selfie and narcissism to show that both are symptoms of political discontent and a desire for (self-)transformation.

Following a meander through various art schools, attaining a BA(hons) in Photographic Art in 2013 and an MA in Contemporary Art Theory in 2017, as of late 2022 I am working on a PhD in Philosophy at Newcastle University. I’d rather not talk about it, to be honest.

I have spoken about my work at events hosted in Slovenia, Hungary, the United States, Sweden, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Poland, Greece, Italy, Czechia, Estonia, Mexico, Columbia, and the UK.

When not writing, I work primarily as a freelance proofreader and copyeditor. (A list of assorted credits can be found here.) In another life, I held the role of exhibitions coordinator at Ffotogallery and BAFTA.

If you would like to hire me, have questions about the blog and its content, want to translate something published here, or just say hello, please email matt@xenogothic.com.

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