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Staff Profile

Dr Matt Benwell

Reader in Human Geography

  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 3935
  • Address: School of Geography Politics and Sociology
    Rm 3.23, Henry Daysh Building
    缅北禁地
    缅北禁地 Upon Tyne, UK
    NE1 7RU
Background

Matt is a Reader in Human Geography. He undertakes research and publishes work on a broad range of topics related to political geography (see research interests below) including, most prominently, exploring the intersections of geopolitics with the lives of children, young people and families (Routledge). His work has been published in a range of international, peer-reviewed journals including Area, Environment and Planning C/D, Geoforum, Geopolitics, Political Geography, Social and Cultural Geography, Territory, Politics, Governance, Transactions, among others.

Matt was a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at Keele and then 缅北禁地 from 2013-2016. He has extensive experience of teaching human geography at undergraduate and postgraduate levels having been a Teaching Fellow at the universities of Liverpool, Reading and Royal Holloway, University of London. He has a PhD, MA in Cultural Geography and BA (Hons) from Royal Holloway. 

Research Interests

Matt's research engages with contemporary debates in political and social geography in the following areas:

1) Young people's engagements with geopolitics across a host of different geographies. The regional focus of this work centres on South Africa (PhD), the Southern Cone (Argentina and Chile) and takes a particular interest in territorial disputes in the South West Atlantic (Falklands/Malvinas) and Antarctica.

2) Nation and nationalism. This research contributes to work on everyday and affective nationalism by exploring how people experience and contest the nation. It has focused on people's engagements with the nation along the Argentina/Chile border in Patagonia and during the social uprising in Chile (2019-20).

3) The geopolitics of the British OTs. This work focuses on the diplomatic and other relationships between the UK and the British OTs, as well as states that directly challenge their status. It continues to consider the fallout of Brexit and other contemporary events that are generating debate about the constitutional links between the OTs and the UK.

4) The experiences of young refugees and asylum seekers in public space. This research is situated in the UK (缅北禁地-Gateshead and Glasgow) but also connects with a larger European research project funded by HERA that includes research teams in the cities of Amsterdam, Brussels and Leipzig. 

For potential PhD students  

Please get in touch if you are interested in pursuing PhD or postdoctoral research on any of the topics listed above.

Google scholar:

SCOPUS:



Research

Funding 

Falklands Forty Schools Competition - FIGO (2022-2023)

Responding to the needs of refugees and asylum seekers in the context of COVID-19: resilience, adaptation and new forms of care - UKRI (2020-2022)

The everyday experiences of young refugees and asylum seekers in public spaces - HERA (Humanities in the European Research Area) Joint Research Programme (2019-2022)

Young people, nationalism and post-nationalism: multi-cultural belonging in hyper-diverse neighbourhoods - Geography Research Excellence Academy (REA) (2017-2019)

Geographical imaginations of the state and everyday geopolitics: the case of the Southern Cone and Chilean Patagonia - Global Excellence Fund (2015-2018)

Embodied memories, distant territories: examining the perspectives of ex-combatants of the Malvinas War in Santa Fe, Argentina - Santander Mobility Fund (2016)

Memory and territory: comparing young people's perspectives on the Malvinas in Argentina - 缅北禁地 Research Committee Visiting Fellow, Alejandro Gasel (2015-2016) 

The making of the geopolitical citizen: the case of the Falklands/Malvinas - Early Career Fellowship funded by The Leverhulme Trust (2013-2016)

Young people and stories of the riots: Liverpool 1981 and 2011 - British Academy Small Grant (PI) with Andy Davies and Bethan Evans

Postgraduate Supervision

Completed

Hannah Lyons - Assembling the nation: spatialising young, religious American's affective experiences of the nation, fear and danger in the everyday (ESRC)

William Whitehead - Escaped roots: sub-self-neutering and its political overcoming in Chocó, Colombia (ESRC)

Evie Hill - Designs for revolution: a visual analysis of Cuba's foreign policy in Africa, 1967-1987 (ESRC)

Tom Shrimplin - “Good game?”: Young People, Geopolitics and Violence(s) in the Ludic Assemblages of Battle Royale Videogames and Streams (ESRC)

Will Hughes - An Organisational Ethnography of Geopolitical Knowledge Production (ESRC)

Research roles

Editorial board, Children's Geographies

Director of Postgraduate Research, Geography

Memberships

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Teaching

Teaching roles

GEO2047 Political Geography (Lecturer)

GEO2139 Exploring Everyday Political Geographies in a Divided City: Nicosia (Module Leader and Lecturer)

GEO3102 Geopolitics (Lecturer)



Publications

  • Articles

    • Finlay R, Benwell MC, Hopkins P. . Geographical Journal 2026, 192(1), e70077.
    • Finlay R, Hopkins P, Benwell MC. . Annals of the American Association of Geographers 2026, epub ahead of print.
    • Benwell MC, Pinkerton A. . Political Geography 2026, 124, 103441.
    • Huizinga RP, Hopkins P, Benwell MC, de Backer M, Finlay R, Hörschelmann K, Kirndörfer E, van Liempt I. . Social Sciences 2025, 14(4), 204.
    • Benwell MC. . Geopolitics 2024, 29(5), 1855-1881.
    • Benwell MC, Pennell C, Pinkerton A. . Area 2024, 56(3), e12942.
    • Benwell MC, Hopkins P, Finlay R. . Geoforum 2023, 145, 103845.
    • Benwell MC, Nuñez A, Amigo C. . Cardinalis 2023, 19, 82-115.
    • González AN, Reveco SU, Benwell MC. . Punto Sur 2023, (9), 9-27.
    • Benwell MC, Pennell C, Pinkerton A. . BBC History Magazine 2022.
    • Hughes W, Megoran N, Benwell MC. . Territory, Politics, Governance 2022, 10(2), 237-255.
    • Benwell MC, Betts M, Cheek J, Pennell C, Pinkerton A, Wilks N. . The Round Table 2022, 111(1), 116-126.
    • Núñez A, Benwell MC, Aliste E. . Geographical Review 2022, 112, 688-706.
    • Benwell MC, Pinkerton A. . Journal of War and Culture Studies 2022, 15(3), 284-308.
    • Benwell MC, Núñez A, Amigo C. . Geoforum 2021, 122, 22-31.
    • Benwell MC. . Political Geography 2021, 86, 102351.
    • Benwell MC, Clegg P, Pinkerton A. . The Round Table 2021, 110(1), 159-170.
    • Benwell MC. . Geopolitics 2020, 25(1), 88-108.
    • Benwell MC, Pinkerton A. . Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space 2020, 38(6), 998-1016.
    • Benwell MC, Davies A, Evans B, Wilkinson C. . Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space 2020, 38(4), 599-618.
    • Benwell MC, Gasel A, Nuñez A. . Bulletin of Latin American Research 2020, 39(4), 424-438.
    • Finlay R, Nayak A, Benwell MC, Hopkins P, Pande R, and Richardson M. . Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space 2019, 37(1), 17-23.
    • Hörschelmann K, Studemeyer CC, Hopkins P, Benwell MC. . Geopolitics 2019, 24(4), 777-786.
    • Núñez A, Benwell MC, Aliste E, Muñoz J. . Revista Austral de Ciencias Sociales 2019, 37, 167-186.
    • Benwell MC, Núñez A, Amigo C. . Area 2019, 51(4), 719-727.
    • Benwell MC. . Social & Cultural Geography 2019, 20(4), 485-506.
    • Núñez A, Benwell MC. . Revista Austral de Ciencias Sociales 2019, 37, 161-166.
    • Burrell K, Hopkins P, Isakjee A, Lorne C, Nagel C, Finlay R, Nayak A, Benwell MC, Pande R, Richardson M, Botterill K, Rogaly B. . Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space 2019, 37(1), 3-40.
    • Pinkerton A, Benwell MC. . Political Geography 2018, 64, 92-94.
    • Gasel A, Benwell MC. . Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Sociales 2017, 8(1), 88-107.
    • Núñez A, Baeza B, Benwell MC. . Revista de Geografía Norte Grande 2017, 66, 97-116.
    • Benwell MC. . Journal of Latin American Studies 2016, 48(2), 273-300.
    • Benwell MC. . Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 2016, 41(2), 121-133.
    • Benwell MC, Pinkerton A. . RUSI Journal 2016, 161(4), 8-14.
    • Pinkerton A, Benwell MC. . Political Geography 2014, 38, 12-22.
    • Benwell MC. . Geoforum 2014, 52, 51-60.
    • Benwell MC. . Area 2014, 46(2), 163-169.
    • Benwell MC. Rethinking conceptualisations of adult-imposed restriction and children’s experiences of autonomy in outdoor space. Children's Geographies 2013, 11, 28-43.
    • Benwell MC. Resource nationalism: Argentina, the Falkland Islands and the United Kingdom. Global Policy Journal 2013.
    • Benwell MC, Borello J, Haselip J. Housing, security and employment in post-neoliberal Buenos Aires. Latin American Perspectives 2013, 40, 146-167.
    • Benwell MC. Don't believe the hype. Geographical 2012, April, 46-49.
    • Benwell MC, Dodds K, Pinkerton A. . Political Geography 2012, 31, 405-407.
    • Benwell MC, Dodds K. Argentine territorial nationalism revisited: The Malvinas/Falklands dispute and geographies of everyday nationalism. Political Geography 2011, 30, 441-449.
    • Dodds K, Benwell MC. More unfinished business: The Falklands/Malvinas, maritime claims and the spectre of oil in the South Atlantic. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 2010, 28, 571-580.
    • Benwell MC. 'Race' or race: reflections on (self-) censorship and avoidance in research with children. Children's Geographies 2009, 7, 229-233.
    • Benwell MC. Challenging minority world privilege: children’s outdoor mobilities in post-apartheid South Africa. Mobilities 2009, 4, 77-101.

  • Book Chapters

    • Benwell MC, Núñez A. . In: Halvorsen S, ed. Latin American Geographies. London: Routledge, 2025.
    • Núñez A, Baeza B, Benwell MC. . In: Núñez A; Aliste E; Martínez-Wong A, ed. La reinvención de la naturaleza en Patagonia-Aysén: Imágenes, discursos y deseos. Santiago, Chile: LOM Ediciones, 2023.
    • Benwell MC, Clegg P, Pinkerton A. . In: McDougall D; Ong SE, ed. COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. London: Routledge, 2023, pp.150-161.
    • Benwell MC, Gasel A. . In: Mira, G; Pedrosa, F, ed. Revisiting the Falklands-Malvinas question: transnational and interdisciplinary perspectives. University of Chicago Press, 2021.
    • Wilkinson C, Benwell MC, Carter B, Brooks L, Davies A, Evans B, Silverio SA, Thomas G. . In: von Benzon,N;Holton,M;Wilkinson,C;Wilkinson,S, ed. Creative Methods for Human Geographers. Sage, 2021, pp.379-391.
    • Benwell M. . In: Hopkins, P and Pain, R (eds.) and The 缅北禁地 Social Geographies Collective, ed. Social Geographies: An Introduction. London: Rowman and Littlefield, 2020, pp.98-105.
    • Benwell MC. . In: Benwell, MC; Hopkins, P, ed. Children, Young People and Critical Geopolitics. Abingdon, Oxon: Ashgate, 2017, pp.107-122.
    • Benwell MC. . In: Dodds, K; Hemmings, AD; Roberts, P, ed. Handbook on the Politics of Antarctica. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2017, pp.540-554.
    • Benwell M, Hopkins P. . In: Benwell, M; Hopkins, P, ed. Children, Young People and Critical Geopolitics. Abingdon, Oxon: Ashgate, 2016, pp.1-27.
    • Benwell M, Hopkins P. . In: Benwell, M; Hopkins, P, ed. Children, Young People and Critical Geopolitics. Abington, Oxon: Taylor and Francis, 2016, pp.187-190.
    • Benwell MC. . In: Stone, J; Rutledge, D; Rizova, P; Smith, A & Hou, X, ed. The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism. Wiley-Blackwell, 2015.
    • Benwell MC. . In: Powell,RC & Dodds,K, ed. Polar Geopolitics? Knowledges, Resources and Legal Regimes. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2014, pp.201-218.

  • Creative Writing

    • Benwell MC, Núñez A. . Geographical 2019. Geographical Magazine Limited, 91(3), 43-51.

  • Edited Books

    • Benwell MC, Spyrou S, Theodorou E, ed. . Routledge, 2026. In Press.
    • De Backer M, Hopkins P, van Liempt I, Finlay R, Kirndörfer E, Kox M, Benwell MC, Hörschelmann K, ed. . Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2023.
    • Hopkins P, 缅北禁地 Social Geographies Collective, Pain R, Shaw R, Gao Q, Bonnett A, Jones C, Richardson M, Rzedzian S, Benwell MC, Lin W, McAreavey R, Stenning A, Blazek M, Pande R, Najib K, Finlay R, Nayak A, Ridley G, Mearns G, Bonner-Thompson C, McLaughlin J, Boussalem A, Iqbal N, Heslop J, Jarvis H, Burrows R, Bambra C, Copeland A, Tate S, Campbell E, Thompson M, James A, Raynor R, Cunningham N, Powells G, Herbert J, Hocknell S, ed. . London, UK: Rowman and Littlefield, 2021.
    • Benwell MC, Hopkins P, ed. . Abingdon, Oxon: Taylor and Francis, 2016.
    • Benwell MC, Hopkins P, ed. . Ashgate, 2016.

  • Editorials

    • González AN, Reveco SU, Benwell MC. . Punto Sur 2023, (9), 1-8.
    • Woodward R, Benwell MC, Jenkings KN, Natale E, Parr H. . Journal of War & Culture Studies 2022, 15(3), 261-265.
    • Benwell MC, Clegg P, Harmer N, Pinkerton A. . Small States & Territories 2022, 5(1), 3-12.
    • Skovdal M, Benwell MC. . Children's Geographies 2021, 19(3), 259-266.
    • Benwell MC, Núñez A. . Bulletin of Latin American Research 2020, 39(4), 421-423.
    • Holt L, Blazek M, Benwell MC, Van Blerk L. . Children's Geographies 2020, 18(2), 125-127.
    • Hopkins P, Hörschelmann K, Benwell M, Studemeyer C. . Social and Cultural Geography 2018, 20(4), 435-444.

  • Musical Composition

    • The Crossings Band. . . Spotify, 2023.

  • Online Publications

    • Benwell MC. . Online: The Conversation, 2022. Available at: .
    • Benwell MC. . Royal Geographical Society: Geographical, 2021. Available at: .
    • Finlay R, Benwell MC, Hopkins P. . Discover Society, 2020. Available at: .

  • Reports

    • Finlay R, Hopkins P, Kirndörfer E, Kox M, Huizinga R, De Backer M, Benwell MC, van Liempt I, Hörschelmann K, Felten P, Bastian JM, Bousetta H. . 缅北禁地 upon Tyne: 缅北禁地, 2022.
    • Huizinga R, Hopkins P, De Backer M, Finlay R, Kirndörfer E, Kox M, Bastian J, Benwell MC, Felten P, Haack L, Hörschelmann K, van Liempt I. . London: Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers, 2022. Guides for Researchers.
    • Finlay R, Hopkins P, Benwell MC. . 缅北禁地-upon-Tyne, UK: 缅北禁地, 2021.
    • Finlay R, Nayak A, Benwell M, Hopkins P, Pande R, Richardson M. . 缅北禁地 upon Tyne: 缅北禁地, 2020.

  • Reviews

    • Benwell MC. . Journal of Latin American Studies 2016, 48(1), 183-185.
    • Benwell MC. . Childhood 2014, 21(4), 563-564.