Henry Ravenhall

Henry Ravenhall is Assistant Professor of French at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in medieval French and Occitan literature, manuscript culture, and sensory studies. He holds a PhD (2020), MA (2016), and BA (2015) from King's College London. Prior to joining UC Berkeley, he held postdoctoral positions at the University of Cambridge (British Academy Fellow, 2021–2023), Freie Universität Berlin (2020–2021), and King's College London (2020).

His research examines materiality and temporality in medieval manuscripts, with focus areas including:

• Theories of affect, emotion, and sensory perception (especially touch/smell)
• Philology and digital editing methodologies
• Reception of classical antiquity
• Philosophical frameworks (Jean-Luc Nancy, Jacques Rancière)

He directs two major book projects: The Anachronic Manuscript (on voice/polyphony in 13th-century codices) and Touch and the Experience of Medieval French Manuscripts (analyzing haptic interactions in 300+ manuscripts).

His publications demonstrate consistent focus on material engagement with historical texts, particularly through sensory frameworks and manuscript evidence. Recent work explores tactile defacement, olfactory devotion, textile veils, and Troy narratives across periods.

Awards include:

• British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021–2023)
• Runner-up for Society for French Studies Malcolm Bowie Prize (2024)
• IMS-Paris PhD Student Prize (2018)
• DFG Fellowship for 'Making Sense/Making Time' project (2020–2021)

He has secured major grants (ERC, DFG, British Academy) and leads digital initiatives including interpretive editions of the Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César. He co-organized international workshops ('Touching Troy', 'Spectral Temporalities') and collaborates on the Temporal Communities project.