Flows of Thought: On Canals, Materiality and Humanities Research

In this feature essay, Jodie Matthews examines how waterways have not just been the topic of her work, but have also become a dominant material metaphor that has channelled her theoretical approach. Tracing the history of the ‘canal age’ and how it continues to influence our physical and conceptual landscapes, this essay discusses how water navigations offer generative ways of considering the materiality of humanities research.