Samantha Rayner

Samantha Rayner is a Professor of Publishing and Book Cultures at University College London (UCL), based in the Department of Information Studies within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Her roles include Vice Dean for Wellbeing (since June 2023) and co-Director of the Bookselling Research Network. She holds additional affiliations as a Research Fellow at the Institute of English Studies and General Editor for Cambridge University Press's Elements in Publishing and Book Culture series.

Education includes a PhD in Medieval Poetry (Bangor University, 2006), MA in English Literature (Bangor, 1992), and PGCE in Secondary English/Drama (Canterbury Christ Church, 1994). Her research focuses on publishing paratexts, bibliotherapy, academic publishing dynamics, and medieval literary texts, with interdisciplinary collaborations in cultural industries.

Leadership roles include directing the Cultures of the Digital Economy Research Institute (2010–2012) and co-leading the Bloomsbury Chapter initiative with the Institute of English Studies. She emphasizes knowledge transfer through collaborative projects and chairs the Penguin Books Researcher Network.

Expertise spans publishing history, bookselling practices, and the intersection of literature and pedagogy, with specialisms in Arthurian texts and Tractarian poetry. She is actively engaged in wellbeing initiatives within academia and industry advisory activities.