Jens Evers

Hi! My name is Jens Evers (first name pronounced ‘yenz'; pronouns: he/him). I was born in Münster, Germany, and grew up in a small town just outside of the city. I earned my BA at Bielefeld University in a program that combined courses in literary studies, Linguistics, as well as British and American studies. I first came to KU as an undergraduate exchange student (2019-20). A year and a half after the end of my study abroad program, in 2021, I found myself back at KU to begin the literature MA program in the English department. I completed the MA program in Spring 2024.

I am currently a doctoral student. I am interested in contemporary US American ethnic historical fiction, particularly the ways authors of marginalized groups have shaped (and continue to shape) the genre to challenge (national) narratives and assert their voices and collective identities. My approach to these texts is informed by memory studies, drawing on cultural memory as a key framework. I view historical fiction as a genre that both presents cultural memories to a broader audience, and that contributes to the formation of cultural memories.