Raphaela Behounek is a PhD student at the University of Salzburg, Austria, currently researching in the field of young adult fiction and fantastic fiction. After completing a BA in English and American Studies, she went on to earn her MA in Literature from the University of Essex, UK. Her research interests are Fantastic fiction, the fictionalisation of institutions and power relations, as well as literature in popular culture. A key area in her work is not only teaching literacy, but also how literature can transcend the page and offer real-life impulses.