Ros Ballaster

Ros Ballaster is Professor of Eighteenth-Century Studies in the Faculty of English at the University of Oxford and Professorial Fellow in English at Mansfield College, positions she has held since 2009. Her distinguished academic career spans over three decades, including previous roles as College and University Fellowship and lecturer in English Literature at Mansfield College (1995-2009), Lecturer in English Literature at the University of East Anglia (1989-1993), and Visiting Fellow at Harvard University (1988-1998).

Ballaster earned her D.Phil in English Literature from the University of Oxford in 1989 and completed her First Class Honors B.A. in English Language and Literature from St Hilda's College in 1984. In 2004, she furthered her teaching credentials with a Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from the UK Higher Education Academy.

Professor Ballaster's research focuses on the intersection of several key areas within eighteenth-century literary studies. Her work prominently features the eighteenth-century novel, with special attention to women's writing and oriental fiction. She has made significant contributions to understanding Georgian theatre and exploring popular and mass cultural forms including romance fiction, soap opera, and women's magazines. Her scholarship often intersects with feminist criticism, examining gender dynamics and women's voices in historical contexts. A recurring theme in her work is the examination of Eastern representations in Western literature, particularly how eighteenth-century English writers engaged with Oriental tales and motifs.

Analysis of Ballaster's publications reveals a consistent focus on cross-cultural literary exchanges, particularly between Eastern and Western traditions. Her work demonstrates how eighteenth-century British writers appropriated and transformed Oriental narratives, creating hybrid literary forms that reflected both fascination with and anxiety about cultural difference. There is also a strong thread examining women's contributions to literary history, with attention to how female writers navigated and shaped literary traditions. Her scholarship moves fluidly between textual analysis, historical context, and theoretical frameworks, showing particular strength in connecting eighteenth-century literary forms to contemporary cultural concerns.

• British Academy Rose Mary Crawshay prize (2006) for "Fabulous Orients: Fictions of the East in England 1660-1785"
• Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship (2003-2006)
• Judge for Clifford Prize awarded by American Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies (2006)
• Award for teaching excellence from Humanities Division, Oxford University (2007)
• Peer Review College Member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (2007)

Throughout her career, Professor Ballaster has demonstrated significant commitment to academic service and mentorship. She served as Director of Graduate Studies in English Language and Literature (2009-2011) and as Humanities Division co-ordinator for CETL funded by UK Higher Education Academy (2006-2009). Her teaching excellence was formally recognized with an Oxford University award in 2007. Ballaster has contributed extensively to academic publishing, serving as one of five editors of The English Review from 1994-2009, regularly reviewing manuscripts for major academic presses, and examining numerous doctoral theses across multiple institutions. She has also engaged with theater production through a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship at Royal and Derngate Theater in 2014, demonstrating her commitment to connecting academic scholarship with practical artistic applications.