Anne Fastrup

Anne Fastrup is an Associate Professor in the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen, specializing in early modern European literary and cultural history. She teaches courses on 1650-1850 literature and theoretical/historical topics at both undergraduate and graduate levels, with expertise in contextualization methodologies and multilingual scholarship (fluent in English, French, Spanish, and German).

Academic Background:

• 1982: Sprolig student, Kolding Gymnasium
• 1990: Diplôme d'études approfondies, Paris VII
• 1992: Cand.phil. in Literature, University of Copenhagen
• 1999: Ph.D. in Literature
• 2023: Dr.phil. (higher doctorate) defense on Orientalism in Early Modern European Literature

Research Trajectory: Fastrup's scholarly work centers on 16th-18th century European literature with groundbreaking contributions to Orientalism studies across French, Spanish, and English contexts. Her recent pivot explores literary historiography of the Anthropocene and nature/culture metabolism, culminating in a major 2023 interdisciplinary project on agricultural history (1700-2023) involving ethnologists, anthropologists, and art historians. This evolution reflects her signature methodological approach: examining political dimensions of literary production through frameworks like sensibility culture and republicanism.

Publication Trends: Analysis of her 49 research outputs reveals three distinct phases: (1) foundational work on Enlightenment sensibility (2001-2010), (2) mature scholarship on Orientalism and geopolitics (2013-2019), and (3) current integrative research bridging literary history with environmental humanities. Recent publications increasingly employ transnational perspectives while maintaining rigorous textual analysis of primary sources from Diderot to Radcliffe.

Research Leadership:

• Principal Investigator: Natural-Cultural History of Agriculture project (2023-present)
• Co-PI: Islam in European Literature (3.5 million kr, Danish Research Council 2007)
• Co-PI: Cultures of Republicanism network (600,000 kr, 2008)
• Senior Advisor: SHM-Productions (London strategy consultancy, 2008-present)

Public Engagement: Fastrup co-created the 2010 DR documentary series Hvide Slaver on Christian captives in Muslim lands (1500-1800), securing 250,000 kr for its digital platform. Her editorial work includes co-founding the Tidlig Moderne academic series (2005-present) and serving as series editor for Museum Tusculanum Press. She maintains active international collaboration through 20+ conference participations annually since 2001, notably at UCLA, Sorbonne, and Nordic academic networks.