A LECTURER at Leeds Trinity University has been shortlisted for Most Innovative Teacher of the Year at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2020.

Dr Kate Lister, course leader for creative and professional writing at Leeds Trinity University, has been shortlisted in recognition of the projects she set up to encourage students to challenge language and understand sensationalism and media bias.

In one project, 17 students worked with Basis, a charity that supports sex workers in Leeds, to commemorate the last 17 sex workers who were murdered in Leeds and Bradford between 1978 and 2010. Students researched the life of one of the victims and explored how media representations influence social attitudes and the use of derogatory language against sex workers, before producing a piece of writing in remembrance.

In February 2020, Dr Lister also published her first book – A Curious History of Sex - and donated the pre-sale profits to Basis Sex Work Project, to support female sex workers and young people experiencing sexual exploitation in Leeds.

She said: "I am really blown away to be nominated. It’s a real honour. It’s always been really important to me to show students the real world applications of their studies, and when the opportunity arose for my students to work with Basis Yorkshire and create an event to remember sex workers who have been killed in Leeds, I knew they would do a wonderful job. Watching them come into their own as writers and researchers was wonderful. Being nominated for an award on top of that is just incredible."

The Awards will take place on Thursday November 26.