Domenic Suntrapak

Biography

Domenic is a PhD researcher in English, whose research focuses heavily on poetry, poetics, and urban phenomena. Their LUDeC project seeks to draw an interdisciplinary line between urban poetry and architecture, looking specifically at commonalities in linguistics and embodiment. By critically examining these creative fields through close textual reading and interviews, Domenic hopes to enlarge the role of poetry in ongoing conversations on placemaking and urban rejuvenation, as well as highlight its potential to provide a much-needed voice for urban users and inhabitants. Outside of their academic projects, Domenic writes poetry and has previously worked as a managing editor for LEVEE Magazine. 

Academic and Professional Qualifications

MSt Creative Writing, The University of Oxford

BA in English and Japanese Language and Cultural Studies from the University of the Pacific.

Research Outputs

LUDeC Connections

My project proposes an interdisciplinary alignment between poetry and architecture, focusing specifically on commonalities in linguistics, notions of embodiment, and psychosocial impact. Having identified consistent mention and inclination towards poetics from contemporary architectural sources, my research endeavours to establish an academic, as well as creative dialogue between these two disciplines. To that end, my fieldwork will involve interviewing poets and architects about these intersections, with the aim of publishing my findings and hosting a roundtable event with both groups. It is my firm belief that a cooperative practice founded on the grounds of shared language and body-centric discourse has the potential to advance the humanistic vision of the LUDeC unit.

Ultimately, I contend that a free flow of information from poetry to architecture conceptualization will do much to bring local communities into the development fold, and that this model synergizes strongly with the work of my fellow LUDeC scholars in literature Anita Slater and Joe Schute. In terms of exterior training and partnerships, my supervisor and I had previously met with Glyn Maxwell from the London Poetry School to table future collaboration, discuss trends in urban poetics, and perform a mock interview that will hopefully serve as a methodological template for my project. Other prospective partners for training and coproduction may include the National Poetry Library, the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the Manchester Society of Architects. Internally, I will continue to work closely with MMU’s Centre for Place Writing and Institute of Place Management, in the interest of not only observing urban restoration projects but also working to affect urban change at collegiate and community levels.

Contact Information

Domenic.a.suntrapak@stu.mmu.ac.uk