James Morland

Dr. James Morland is a Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Fellow at Queen Mary University of London’s School of History. His research focuses on the intersections of eighteenth-century poetry with philosophy and medicine, particularly exploring themes of solitude, death, and grief. He holds an MA in Eighteenth-Century Studies and a PhD from King’s College London, both examining ancient philosophies of death in poetry.

His current project, part of the Wellcome-funded 'Pathologies of Solitude,' investigates how solitude and mortality intersect in eighteenth-century cultural contexts. He analyzes figures like physicians, philosophers, and mourners to understand poetry’s role in processing existential questions. His work bridges literary analysis, medical humanities, and philosophical inquiry.

Publications include studies on Thomas Gray’s engagement with posthumous communication and Lucretius’ influence on Virginia Woolf’s The Waves. He contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on life writing and death studies, emphasizing poetry’s capacity to reflect on solitude and mortality.

Dr. Morland’s research is supported by the Wellcome Trust and forms part of Queen Mary’s broader initiatives in the humanities and social sciences.