The Australian National University (ANU) PhD candidate Hamid Farahmandian, from the School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics in the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), is the 2024 recipient of the Oxford PhD Exchange (ANU to Oxford University).

Few people would settle in with Finnegans Wake for a bit of light bedtime reading, but ANU literature researcher Hamid Farahmandian would choose it every time.

He admits to an obsession with James Joyce’s famously dense and impenetrable text.

“I know some people slightly hate Joyce for writing in this complex way, but I love it,” he says.

“I’ve always done my research on his texts – I am very loyal.”

Hamid’s PhD, under supervisor Dr Russell Smith in the CASS School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, focuses on the intersection of orientalism, language, philosophy and history in Ireland, particularly in James Joyce.  

It’s this niche interest that won Hamid the prestigious Oxford PhD Exchange (ANU to Oxford University), where he’ll spend a term at the Oxford Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages and Phonetics from October to December.

The Exchange provides an opportunity for ANU Higher Degree Research (HDR) candidates from any discipline to engage in independent research at Oxford University, audit classes, attend workshops and network with academics working in their field.

“It has long been a dream of mine to visit the UK, particularly Oxford, and I’m so excited to have this opportunity to immerse myself in the academic environment,” he says.

Hamid says he’s looking forward to working with scholars there, particularly Professor Peter Franklin, who specialises in medieval studies in Oxford but also has an interest in Joyce.

Hamid’s academic journey started at Urmia University in Iran, his hometown and a place he loves for its rich cultural history. He then studied his master’s in literature at Universiti Putra Malaysia, which was where he discovered a passion for James Joyce.

“Finnegans Wake includes more than 60 languages, which makes it hard for even native speakers to decipher, but the complexity is what drew me in; it’s never boring,” he says.

There’s a community of people in Canberra who feel the same, and they meet fortnightly at King O’Malley’s over a pint of Guinness to discuss the book.

“It’s always a good night out and the group never runs out of things to debate,” Hamid says.

“We’re all like-minded but from very different backgrounds, brought together by a shared interest in this challenging, fascinating book.”

The reading group also inspired Hamid to publish his first book, Iran in Finnegans Wake, where he explores the links between Joyce’s novel and Iranian language, culture and history.

Hamid hopes to finish his ANU PhD by next year. His thesis, tentatively called Irish Orientalism: The Iranian Influence on James Joyce, explores the connections between Iranian and Irish literature.

“The research environment at ANU, particularly under the mentorship of Professor Smith, has been so valuable, giving me both the intellectual freedom and support I need,” he says.

“For me, Joyce transcends cultural boundaries. His linguistic innovations and explorations of identity resonate across the world, reminding us that we share more similarities than differences."

He’s maintained his loyalty to Joyce for many years, but Hamid says he’s open to focusing on a new author in the future.

“The Oxford exchange is a huge milestone for me, and I’m excited to experience the rich literary history of the UK. Who knows where it will take me – perhaps I’ll come back with a new literary passion.”

For more information and to apply for the Oxford University PhD Exchange, click here.