Sarah Annes Brown

Sarah Annes Brown is a Professor of English Literature at Anglia Ruskin University, where she is affiliated with the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences and the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. She serves as Co-Director of the Anglia Ruskin Centre for Science Fiction and Fantasy and is Secretary of the Science Fiction Foundation, demonstrating her significant contributions to both academic and professional literary communities.

Brown earned her PhD, MA in Medieval English, and BA in English, all from the University of Bristol, establishing a strong foundation in literary studies that has informed her diverse research interests across historical periods and genres.

Professor Brown's research primarily focuses on patterns of influence and allusion in literature, with particular emphasis on the reception of classical texts in English literature. Her work spans from Ovid's Metamorphoses as traced in her first book The Metamorphosis of Ovid: From Chaucer to Ted Hughes (1999), through Shakespeare studies in works like Tragedy in Transition (2007), to contemporary explorations of science fiction in her monograph Shakespeare and Science Fiction (2021). She has a distinctive interest in the intersection between science fiction and 'canonical' literature, examining how classical traditions inform and transform within speculative genres.

Her recent scholarly output reveals a consistent engagement with Shakespeare's enduring presence across literary history and genres, particularly in science fiction. Brown's work demonstrates how classical allusions function as meaningful bridges between historical and contemporary texts, with increasing attention to posthuman identity, adaptation, and the ethical dimensions of literary reception. Her research connects traditional literary scholarship with cutting-edge explorations of contemporary speculative fiction.

• Arthur C. Clarke Award Judge (2014-15)

As Co-Director of the Anglia Ruskin Centre for Science Fiction and Fantasy, Professor Brown actively mentors emerging scholars and fosters interdisciplinary dialogue between science fiction studies and traditional literary scholarship. Her research supervision focuses on science fiction, Shakespeare, Renaissance literature, and myth in literature, guiding the next generation of scholars in these interconnected fields.

Through her leadership at the Anglia Ruskin Centre for Science Fiction and Fantasy and her active participation in the Science Fiction Foundation, Brown has cultivated a vibrant intellectual community that bridges academic scholarship with broader science fiction fandom and professional writing communities.