Mr Padmanabha Reddy Addula

(he/him)

BA (Motilal Nehru College, University of Delhi), MA (St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi)

Research

My thesis argues that the literary production of Post-War era has to be seen as an assemblage of various aspects such as the spectres to memorialise the conflict and lingering trauma, position the geopolitical realities of Sri Lanka in the present time, and reconstructing cultural memory. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including novels, poetry, photographic and newspaper archives, journalistic articles and interviews, this research will demonstrate how the post war interstitial spaces deconstruct the idea of memory which subsists within the cultural framework of Sri Lanka. Deploying literary and cultural criticism, my aim is to undertake an exploratory study of how the cultural memory of Sri Lanka has been reconstructing after the brutal civil war that tore apart the country for decades. The medium of my exploration is post-war Anglophone literature and the authors’ (un)intentional use of spectres in their works which leads to the literature itself becoming ‘spectral’ in nature. Due to the complexity of the reconstruction of cultural memory, my thesis will focus on the textual (the primary text and the secondary critical material), sociological (the collective sensibilities of a group with respect to the political landscape), and experiential (the conscious experience of people) areas. 

Research Themes:
- Postcolonial Literatures
- South Asian Literatures
- Violence and Memory Studies
- Trauma Studies

Teaching

Graduate Tutor

SE2149: Reading Up Close

Biography

I completed my undergraduate in BA Honours English from Motilal Nehru College, University of Delhi and held the position of Student President of the English Department. I graduated with a First Division and topping the college.

After my Undergraduate, I started as a MA English student at St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi and was one of the only five students to secure a position in the college's MA programme. I graduated with a First Division.

In 2024, I secured the SWWDTP-2 funding for my PhD English at Cardiff University and University of Bristol under the supervision of Dr. Radhika Mohanram and Dr. Madhu Krishnan, and joined the PGR cohort at Cardiff University. While being a full time Doctoral student, I have also been the Student Vice-Chair for the SWWDTP from October 2024 and graduate tutor for ENCAP from September 2025.

Honours and awards

• AHRC-SWWDTP2 Doctoral Studentship, UK Research and Innovation, 2024
• Academic Excellence Award, Motilal Nehru College, University of Delhi, 2022
• Extra-Curricular Excellence Award, Motilal Nehru College, University of Delhi, 2022

Academic positions

• Graduate Tutor for Yr 1 Undergraduates within ENCAP (Sept 2025-present)

Speaking engagements

Conference Papers

• 'A Tryst with Spectres: Revisiting Post-War Jaffna in Romesh Gunesekera’s Noontide Toll' ENCAPsulate Conference, Cardiff University (June 2025)
• 'Mapping the Spectral City – Colombo as a Repository of Cultural Memory in The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida' Haunting(s): Multidisciplinary Approaches, Cardiff University (June 2025)