Nigel Thrift has long been recognized as one of geography's most imaginative, articulate, and productive scholars. In an exceptionally lengthy series of papers and books, Thrift has made major contributions to the history of geographical thought; introduced a variety of new perspectives ranging from structuration theory to poststructuralist concerns for identity and performativity; advocated a renewed role for regions in geographical analysis; explicated the contingent, contradictory nature of globalization and its implications for regional development; and consistently argued for the centrality of human consciousness, however bounded, in the construction and reproduction of social and spatial relations.

Born in 1949, Thrift earned his PhD from the University of Bristol in 1979. He was stationed briefly in Leeds (1976–1977), spent 4 yrs. (years) (1979–1983) as a research fellow ...