Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Biography
Heather Blakey is a writer and scholar at the University of Western Australia. Her work examines intersections between technology, intimacy, and the environment in video games, literature, and virtual worlds.
Heather has published academic articles and chapters on intimacy and aesthetics in video games, and she is commissioned for arts and literature coverage for various publications. Her creative work has been published nationally and internationally.
In 2023 Heather was awarded the UWA Convocation Matilda Award for Cultural Excellence in Literature. She has been shortlisted for the Letter Review Prize and the Heroines Prize for Women’s Writing. Prior to her PhD, Heather worked as a publisher in Australia and the UK.
Heather co-hosts the game studies podcast Meaningful Play, which is available via Spotify and Apple podcasts.
Teaching overview
ENGL1401 Narrative in the Digital Age
ENGL2220 In Other Worlds: Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, and Sci Fi
COMM1004 Storytelling Across Media Industries
AUST0063 Foundations of University Study
Roles and responsibilities
HDR representative on the School of Humanities Board (2024)
HDR representative on the School of Humanties Research and Research Training Committee (2024, 2025)
Community engagement
Digital Games Research Association (member since 2022)
Digital Games Research Association Australia (member since 2022)
International Fashion and Games Research Network (founding member, 2026)
Education/Academic qualification
English and Cultural Studies, Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours)
Award Date: 14 Jul 2017
Fingerprint
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Research output
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Love and other terrors: Intimacy and vulnerability in English-language dating simulators
Blakey, H. & Tomkinson, S., 1 Jan 2026, Emerging Genres: New Formations of Games. Voorhees, G. A., Call, J., Wysocki, M. & Brey, B. (eds.). 1 ed. Bloomsbury Academic, p. 289-307 19 p. (Approaches to Digital Game Studies).Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference paper › Chapter › peer-review
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Orbital augury
Blakey, H., Mar 2026, Utopia Science Fiction, March.Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article in specialist publication › peer-review
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The flâneur of Teyvat
Blakey, H., Feb 2026.Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference presentation/ephemera › peer-review
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Theorising immediacy through videogames
Blakey, H., Dawson, F. & Barkman, C., Feb 2026.Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference presentation/ephemera › peer-review
Open Access -
Applying Ngai’s aesthetic categories to a study of Supergiant Games’ body of work between 2011-2021
Blakey, H., Feb 2025.Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference presentation/ephemera › peer-review
Prizes
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The UWA Convocation Matilda Award for Cultural Excellence in Literature
Blakey, H. (Recipient), 21 Sept 2023
Prize: Award
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Activities
- 1 Blog/ Podcast
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Meaningful Play
Blakey, H. (Speaker) & Tomkinson, S. (Speaker)
2022 → …Activity: Service and engagement › Blog/ Podcast