Staff profile

I moved to Durham after nine years in Warwick University's Politics and International Studies department, where I also received also my PhD. Before moving to the UK in the early 2010s, I lived, studied and worked for long periods in different cities across China and Europe.

My trans-disciplinary research is at the intersection of Cultural/ Political Geography and Critical International Relations. My work is driven by a curiosity for conceptual art, disregarded things, unexpected places, and elemental experiments. I have written on holes, weather, air, breathing, skin, trust, fire, and sand. A lot of my writing is inspired by the places I dwell in and the human and non-human animals I meet there. I am currently writing on respiratory dust, pyropolitics, and corners. 

I consider situated engagement meaningful and politically important. I have done previous work and research in Coventry and I am currently interested in collaborations with organisations, artists, poets, and storytellers in the North East. I recently started to take a special interest in the sometimes forgotten worlds and lives of back lanes in England's Northeast.

I also serve on the advisory board of the Routledge Critical Perspectives on Breath and Breathing series. If you are interested in publishing your work with us, please get in touch.

Besides my academic writing, you can find me at OpenDemocracy, Somatosphere and elsewhere.

Supervision

I welcome PhD students interested in doing work on the poetics and politics of breathing, geographies of trust, elemental geographies, and the worlds of unexpected places. I also welcome students wanting to work with me on phenomenology and theory (especially Alphonso Lingis, Frantz Fanon, Luce Irigary, Georges Bataille, Peter Sloterdijk and others).

Widening Participation

As the first person in my family to attend university, I know firsthand how challenging—and rewarding—this journey can be. I am eager to support both new and returning students as you navigate your own paths. Please feel free to reach out; I would love to connect, chat, and hear your stories! You can also find information and resources on our dedicated website.

Authored book

• Spon End: A Local Guide
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., Nassar, A., & Leach, C. (2019). Spon End: A Local Guide. Independent Publishing Network.

Book review

• Social Imaginaries of Space: Concepts and Cases. Bernard Debardieux Edward Elgar, 2019
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2020). Social Imaginaries of Space: Concepts and Cases. Bernard Debardieux Edward Elgar, 2019. Geographical Research, 58(4), 426-429. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12407
• Atmospheric things: on the allure of elemental envelopment
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2019). Atmospheric things: on the allure of elemental envelopment. Social and Cultural Geography, 20(9), 1337-1339. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2019.1616874
• China and the 21st Century Crisis
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2018). China and the 21st Century Crisis. Human Geography., 11(2).

Chapter in book

• Burning Lungs: The Atmopolitics of Wildfires in Indigenous Canada
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2026). Burning Lungs: The Atmopolitics of Wildfires in Indigenous Canada. In N. Selim & J. Albrecht (Eds.), Ways of Breathing and Knowing: The Politics and Poetics of Air, Atmosphere, and the Body. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003650003
• Introduction: Breath and More-than-Human Geography
  
  Hepach, M. G., & Nieuwenhuis, M. (2026). Introduction: Breath and More-than-Human Geography. In M. Górska & L. Škof (Eds.), Handbook of Critical Respiratory Studies: Breath and Air in Humanities and Social Sciences (pp. 1-7). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-75780-8_59-1
• Geographies of Bodies
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., & Colls, R. (2025). Geographies of Bodies. In B. Warf (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Human Geography (pp. 1-6). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25900-5
• Ephemeral language: communicating by breath
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2019). Ephemeral language: communicating by breath. In S. Choi, A. Selmeczi, & E. Strausz (Eds.), Critical Methods for the Study of World Politics: Creativity and Transformation (1st ed.). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315104997
• The Politics of Breathing: Knowledge on Air and Respiration
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2018). The Politics of Breathing: Knowledge on Air and Respiration. In L. Škof & P. Berndtson (Eds.), Atmospheres of breathing: the respiratory questions of philosophy. SUNY Press.
• A grain of sand against a world of territory: experiences of sand and sandscapes in China
  
  Nieuwenhuis., M. (2018). A grain of sand against a world of territory: experiences of sand and sandscapes in China. In P. Steinberg, K. Peters, & E. Stratford (Eds.), Territory Beyond Terra. Rowman & Littlefield.
• The Invisible Lines of Territory: An Investigation into the Makeup of Territory
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2017). The Invisible Lines of Territory: An Investigation into the Makeup of Territory. In M. Nieuwenhuis & D. Crouch (Eds.), The Question of Space: Post-Disciplinary Interventions on the Spatial Turn. Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield. Rowman & Littlefield.
• Imagining the Indo-Pacific Region
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2016). Imagining the Indo-Pacific Region. In P. Chacko (Ed.), New Regional Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific. Routledge.

Edited book

• The Question of Space: Interrogating the Spatial Turn between Disciplines
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., & Crouch, D. (Eds.). (2017). The Question of Space: Interrogating the Spatial Turn between Disciplines. Rowman & Littlefield.

Journal Article

• Colonial pyrotechniques in Palestine: Arboricide and fiery dispossessions
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., & Joronen, M. (2026). Colonial pyrotechniques in Palestine: Arboricide and fiery dispossessions. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 9(1), 334-356. https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486251385851
• Cities on Fire: Towards an Elemental Urbanism in the Anthropocene
  
  Luque-Ayala, A., & Nieuwenhuis, M. (2026). Cities on Fire: Towards an Elemental Urbanism in the Anthropocene. Urban Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980251410816
• “There, seated upon the toilet, apparently in the midst of defecation, was the president of the United States” : Toilets and Elite Politics in the USA and UK
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., & Mcfarlane, C. (2024). “There, seated upon the toilet, apparently in the midst of defecation, was the president of the United States” : Toilets and Elite Politics in the USA and UK. Political Geography, 115, Article 103228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2024.103228
• Back lane geography: in praise of worlds behind
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2024). Back lane geography: in praise of worlds behind. Cultural Geographies, 31(1), 137-144. https://doi.org/10.1177/14744740231161561
• Respiratory negotiations: The elemental biopolitics of medical masks in times of atmospheric crisis
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., & Chen, H. (2024). Respiratory negotiations: The elemental biopolitics of medical masks in times of atmospheric crisis. Political Geography, 108, Article 103018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2023.103018
• Atmospheric Pedagogies: Everyday Ethnographies of the (Post) Pandemic Classroom
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., & Strausz, E. (2023). Atmospheric Pedagogies: Everyday Ethnographies of the (Post) Pandemic Classroom. Theory & Event, 26(3), 597-625. https://doi.org/10.1353/tae.2023.a901580
• Introduction: Locations of Politics
  
  Pribiag, I., & Nieuwenhuis, M. (2023). Introduction: Locations of Politics. Theory & Event, 26(3), 524-530. https://doi.org/10.1353/tae.2023.a901576
• Geographies of Trust: Hitchhiking from Gateshead to Calais
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2022). Geographies of Trust: Hitchhiking from Gateshead to Calais. GeoHumanities, 8(1), 329-343. https://doi.org/10.1080/2373566x.2021.1990102
• The politics of subterranean atmospheres in China: a study of contemporary chinese mining art
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2022). The politics of subterranean atmospheres in China: a study of contemporary chinese mining art. Ambiances, 8. https://doi.org/10.4000/ambiances.4409
• Towards a geography of voice-hearing
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., & Knoll, E. (2021). Towards a geography of voice-hearing. Emotion, Space and Society, 40(August), Article 100812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2021.100812
• Porous skin: Breathing through the prism of the holey body
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2019). Porous skin: Breathing through the prism of the holey body. Emotion, Space and Society, 33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2019.100595
• Feeling (y)our way in the dark: An interview with Jenny Perlin
  
  Perlin, J., Nieuwenhuis, M., & Nassar, A. (2019). Feeling (y)our way in the dark: An interview with Jenny Perlin. Emotion, Space and Society, 33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2019.100596
• Dust: perfect circularity
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., & Nassar, A. (2018). Dust: perfect circularity. Cultural Geographies, 25(3), 501-507. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474474017747252
• Atmospheric governance: Gassing as law for the protection and killing of life
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2018). Atmospheric governance: Gassing as law for the protection and killing of life. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 36(1), 78-95. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263775817729378
• (Porous cities: Coventry through 10 Holes)
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M., & Nassar, A. (2018). (Porous cities: Coventry through 10 Holes). Livingmaps Review, Spring, 1-12.
• Breathing materiality: aerial violence at a time of atmospheric politics
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2016). Breathing materiality: aerial violence at a time of atmospheric politics. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 9(3), 499-521. https://doi.org/10.1080/17539153.2016.1199420
• The Governing of the Air: A Case Study of the Chinese Experience
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2016). The Governing of the Air: A Case Study of the Chinese Experience. Borderlands, 15(1).
• The emergence of materialism in geography: Belonging and being, space and place, sea and land
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2016). The emergence of materialism in geography: Belonging and being, space and place, sea and land. Social Science Information, 55(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/0539018416638949
• Introduction: atmospheric politics and state governance
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2016). Introduction: atmospheric politics and state governance. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 9(3), 478-481. https://doi.org/10.1080/17539153.2016.1199419
• Atemwende, or how to breathe differently
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2015). Atemwende, or how to breathe differently. Dialogues in Human Geography, 5(1), 90-94. https://doi.org/10.1177/2043820614565876
• On one breath all depend
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2015). On one breath all depend. Journal of Narrative Politics, 1(2), 167-179.
• Knowing the Weather: Heavens and Supercomputers in China
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2015). Knowing the Weather: Heavens and Supercomputers in China. Scapegoat: Architecture, Landscape, Political Economy, 5, 132-143.
• Taking Up The Challenge Of Space: New Conceptualisations Of Space In The Work Of Peter Sloterdijk And Graham Harman
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2014). Taking Up The Challenge Of Space: New Conceptualisations Of Space In The Work Of Peter Sloterdijk And Graham Harman. Continent, 4(1), 16-37.
• Review Essay: Spatiality, Sovereignty and Carl Schmitt: Geographies of the Nomos, written by Stephen Legg
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2014). Review Essay: Spatiality, Sovereignty and Carl Schmitt: Geographies of the Nomos, written by Stephen Legg. Historical Materialism, 22(2), 257-285. https://doi.org/10.1163/1569206x-12341360

Other (Print)

• “Sur les Toits”: A Symposium on the Prison Protests in Early 1970s France
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2016). “Sur les Toits”: A Symposium on the Prison Protests in Early 1970s France. Antipode.
• A Right to Breathe
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2015). A Right to Breathe. Critical Legal Thinking.
• Skunk water: stench as a weapon of war
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2015). Skunk water: stench as a weapon of war. openDemocracy.
• Terror In The Air In Istanbul
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2014). Terror In The Air In Istanbul. Society and Space.
• Intervention – Cartographic Nationalism and Territorial Confusion in East Asia
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2013). Intervention – Cartographic Nationalism and Territorial Confusion in East Asia. Antipode.
• Intervention – The London Olympics: Urban Geopolitics
  
  Nieuwenhuis, M. (2012). Intervention – The London Olympics: Urban Geopolitics. Antipode.