The Velvet Sky – in memory of Stephen Duckhouse

Battista, C

Abstract

Comprising a gently fictionalised biography of my ancestor, Stephen Duckhouse, and a critical reflection this thesis combines critical and creative processes from archive and field research, family stories and creative writing. It aims to engage techniques of fictionalised biography to stage an investigation into the experiences of Home Children and the First World War. The thesis develops a practice as research methodology in parallel with critical investigations. The practice as research methodology (after Nelson, 2010) that is employed means that while I am producing a work of creative writing, I am also simultaneously presenting a critical investigation into contemporary biographical practices. By employing practice as research as a methodology, I am able to engage with a creative process woven into the creative story, with biographical research in relation to Home Children sent to Canada and the First World War, to explore and exemplify the genre of gently fictionalised biography. In terms of creative practice, I have given Stephen Duckhouse a voice via an emotional and spiritual response, which justifies and partially defines the gentle fictionalisation of Stephen’s journal and the character of Annie.
Key words: Biographical Practices, Canada, fictionalised biography, archive and field research, family history, practice as research, home children, first world war.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Acceptance Date: Mar 29, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Mar 29, 2019
• Deposit Date: Apr 4, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 30, 2026
• Award Date: Feb 6, 2019