Her interest is in studies of cultural nationalism, with her work focusing on Irish, African, African-American and Caribbean literatures, in which field she has been a scholar of note for more than five decades.
She was the founding President of ATCAL, the Association for the Teaching of African, Asian and Caribbean Literatures, which published the literary magazine Wasafiri, of which Innes has remained a board member since 1984.
"[8] As described by the reviewer for Indian Link: "It is an eye-opening saga not only for its compelling plot but also for the truths it uncovers about the British Empire and the injustices faced by millions as a result of their regime.
"[9] Innes is a great-granddaughter of Mansur Ali Khan – the Nawab Nazim of Bengal from 1838 until his abdication in 1880 – from his marriage to Sarah Vennell, an English hotel maid; they lived together in London for 10 years and had six children.
[2][3] The youngest child emigrated to Australia in 1925, and was Innes' grandfather, whose story she told in her 2021 book, The Last Prince of Bengal: A Family's Journey from an Indian Palace to the Australian Outback.