Matthew Houlbrook (/ˈhoʊlbrʊk/ HOHL-bruuk[1]), known professionally as Matt Houlbrook, is a British academic historian who is Professor of Cultural History at the University of Birmingham.
Houlbrook grew up near the Lincolnshire town of Scunthorpe, and studied history at the University of Cambridge (graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree) before completing his doctorate (PhD) at the University of Essex in 2002, for a thesis entitled "A sun among cities": space, identities and queer male practices, London 1918–57.
In 2008 he was appointed a Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he taught history until his move to the University of Birmingham in 2013; as of 2017, he is Professor of Cultural History there.
[2][3] Houlbrook's work focuses on the cultural history of modern Britain, with particular reference to sexuality, the city, gender and selfhood.
His work has looked at the intersection between urban spaces and sexual identities, as well as the connections between cosmetics, consumer culture, sexuality and the law.