Rachel Scott

Rachel Scott is a Faculty Member in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Royal Holloway, University of London. She previously completed her doctorate in Medieval Studies at King's College London in 2015 and has taught undergraduate courses in Medieval and Renaissance Spanish literature at King's, as well as lecturing at Queen Mary University of London where she directed the Medieval Hispanic Research Seminar.

Her academic journey began with an interdisciplinary MA in Medieval Studies at King's College London, leading to her doctorate on the reception of Celestina in sixteenth-century Spain and Italy. She is also a member of the Seminario de Poética Europea del Renacimiento at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Rachel Scott's research focuses on late medieval and early modern Spanish literary and textual culture, with particular interest in cross-cultural intersections and the reception of medieval literature in early modern Europe. She specializes in the transmission of the Panchatantra/Kalila wa-Dimna fables across cultures and time periods, examining translations made between the XIII and XVII centuries in Spain, Italy, and England. Her work places Iberia within broader global networks and emphasizes how meaning evolves as the context of reception changes.

Her scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on intercultural encounters in medieval and early modern Iberia, with particular attention to the journeys of texts like Kalila wa-Dimna across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Recent publications show increasing engagement with public humanities, exploring how ancient stories can address contemporary societal issues through interdisciplinary collaboration with artists and community organizations.

• Elsevier Outstanding PhD Thesis Prize (2015)
• Association of Hispanists of Great Britain & Ireland Award for Most Distinguished Doctoral Thesis (2016)
• Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland Publication Prize (2015)

Rachel Scott has been actively involved in the "Travelling Concepts" strand of the Language Acts and Worldmaking project, which enables her to bring together her research expertise on literary reception, multicultural spaces of medieval Iberia, and the power of language. She has collaborated with cultural partners like the P21 Gallery on the "Kalila wa Dimna: Ancient Tales for Troubled Times" exhibition, demonstrating her commitment to public engagement beyond traditional academic settings.

Her current research includes a monograph on the vernacular reception of Kalila wa-Dimna across Western Europe, as well as collaborative work on "Global Iberias" teaching resources. She has established herself as a key contributor to interdisciplinary conversations about medieval and early modern Iberia's role in global cultural networks.