Northerners in London: Englishness, place and mobility

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magined geographies of England throughout recordedhistory, this project is the first major study on the wayin which this divide both shapes, and is shaped by,understandings of Englishness, place and mobility.Through life story work with Northerners living inLondon, I will examine the continuing relevance of theNorth-South divide to the identities and livedexperiences of individual migrants. The long-termprivileging of London over the North has led to growinginequalities between the two regions and thestigmatisation of the North and Northern identities.These processes have generated migration circuitswhich, for example, see Northern graduates moving toLondon in search of work. By focusing on transregionalmigrancy, I aim to challenge problematic equationsbetween national identity and immobility and to furtherunderstandings of England as a 'diaspora space'. Thesignificance of migration across the North-South dividewill be the subject of life story interviews with a diversegroup of Northerners who have migrated to London,and with members of their friend and family networksstill in the North. Using discourse analysis, I will explorehow notions of North-South cultural and spatialdivisions figure in individuals' mobilities, identities andintimate relationships. As well as developingunderstandings of the North-South divide and theproduction of cultural and spatial distinctions, I aim tocontribute to policy debates on the relationshipbetween London and the North and the interplay oflocal and national identities. In evaluating thesignificance of the North-South divide to the identitiesand experiences of Northerners who have migrated toLondon, this project will advance understandings ofhow issues of migration and locality play into theformation of national identities and cultural distinctionsin post-industrial societies.