Joy Xin

My research area is centered on urban studies. My interest is primarily in films and literature related to cities, especially novels set in specific cities and films adapted from novels. 

I study cities at different historical stages from the perspectives of urban films and novels which closely delineate urban space and daily life. I anaylse relationship between urban films and novels of the same period to identify commonality and complementarity, and their value to urban studies.

I am currently reviewing two modern cities, London and Beijing. examining urban public space in urban novel and film, and establishing the key role of city obsevers as a bridge between the planned and lived city. Identifying the relationship between public spaces and people.

This research will look at cities through the perspective of novels, films based on novels and documentaries. These portray urban space and daily life. The relationship between novels and films will also be analysed to identify commonality and complementarity, and their value to urban research in terms of people and urban space. I will review two modern cities, London and Beijing. Examining imaginary and the real cities as depicted in films, novels and documentaries, I will establish the key roles of novelists and filmmakers as urban observers, and as a bridge between the planned and lived city. I examine the establishment and development of specific public spaces, and people’s relationship with those spaces. Meanwhile, according to the historical background of each novel or film, and the period in which they are set, the formation, development or final disappearance of these urban spaces will be analysed.

This research will look at particular city observers: novelists and filmmakers, through their comprehensive active observation, recording, description and creation, and how their observations form a way to communicate with the city of the past. I show how their work, novels and films convey significant information as mediums to convey important messages, with the purpose of dissecting people's daily lives and obvious or subtle, relationships between people and urban public space.