About
Nadine Akkerman is an Associate Professor at Leiden University's LUCAS (Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society), specializing in Early Modern English Literature. She is Principal Investigator of the ERC Consolidator Grant project FEATHERS, which investigates collaborative authorship in early modern legal and literary texts. Her academic career spans roles at VU Amsterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen, and visiting fellowships at Queen Mary London, All Souls College Oxford, and NIAS.
- PhD in English Literature (cum laude) from VU Amsterdam (2008)
- Junior Lecturer at VU Amsterdam (0.8 FTE, 2002-2006)
- Junior Lecturer at Radboud University (0.3 FTE, 2006-2007)
Her research focuses on epistolary culture, women's history, and intelligence studies. She pioneered the study of female spies in 17th-century Britain through her monograph Invisible Agents, and authored the authoritative biography Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Hearts. Her work integrates manuscript studies, diplomatic history, and digital humanities, including a groundbreaking Nature Communications paper on virtual document unfolding.
Recent publications include the projected The Correspondence of Elizabeth Stuart (3 vols, Oxford University Press) and co-authoring a Yale University Press trade book on early modern spycraft (2024). Her research has transformed understanding of women's roles in espionage and court politics, with methodological innovations in archival science.
- ERC Consolidator Grant (€2M, 2020)
- Ammodo Science Award (€300,000, 2019)
- World Cultural Council Special Recognition Award (2017)
- Aspasia NWO Premium (2016)
Akkerman actively communicates her research to the public through TV/radio appearances and curated exhibitions. She leads the FEATHERS project (2020-2025), funded by the ERC, which examines authorship mediation in early modern texts. Her work combines rigorous archival analysis with interdisciplinary approaches, bridging history, literature, and digital methodologies.
