Antonia Perna

Dr. Antonia Perna is a historian specializing in French Revolutionary and Napoleonic culture, with a focus on childhood. Her research explores how childhood innocence was politicized and how children became central to state-building during the French Revolution. She completed her PhD at Durham University and held a research fellowship at the British School at Rome, returning to her department in autumn 2021. Her work bridges political culture, education reforms, and transnational historical narratives.

Research Interests

• Children's literature in Enlightenment France
• French Revolutionary culture and society
• History of childhood in modern Europe
• Transmission of political culture under Napoleon

Scientific Awards

• 2018: Joint visiting fellowship at the Newberry Library, Chicago, and the John Rylands Research Institute, Manchester

Grants and Collaborations

Her research has been supported by prestigious institutions, including the Newberry Library and the John Rylands Research Institute, reflecting the international scope of her work on childhood and revolutionary expansion.