Lars Richter is a PhD candidate in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta. His dissertation focuses on the works of German author Juli Zeh. His further research interests include contemporary German-language literature and culture, subcultural theory, popular culture, and gender studies. Lars has joined the research team in 2015; his article “The Rebel Girl and the Wrecking Ball – The Cruel Optimism of Empowerment and the Revival of Feminism in Contemporary Popular Music” can be accessed here.