About
Stephen Bygrave is Professor in Enlightenment & Romantic Studies at the University of Southampton's Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Department of English. He specializes in eighteenth-century literature, Romantic period poetry, and the cultural history of the 1790s, with particular expertise in Joseph Priestley and early American intellectual history.
Educational Background:
- BA in English at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne
- PhD at St John's College, Cambridge
Professor Bygrave's research focuses on Enlightenment writing, particularly the intersection of religious dissent, scientific inquiry, and political thought in the eighteenth century. His work examines Romantic poetry, especially from the 1790s, and extends to the intellectual foundations of the early American republic. He has developed significant expertise in Joseph Priestley's writings, exploring connections between experimental science and religious faith, graphic satire of the 1790s, and transatlantic intellectual networks.
Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent engagement with Enlightenment dissenting culture, particularly through the figure of Joseph Priestley. His scholarship demonstrates interdisciplinary approaches connecting literary studies with religious history, political theory, and the history of science. A notable trend is his examination of how religious and scientific discourse informed revolutionary rhetoric during the turbulent 1790s period, with increasing attention to transatlantic connections between British dissent and early American intellectual culture.
Professor Bygrave actively supervises PhD students, including Stephen Edwards working on English literature. He has secured research funding from prestigious organizations including the Leverhulme Trust for projects such as 'Priestley, Enlightenment and Counter-Enlightenment.' His academic service includes serving as Editor in Chief for Routledge since 2017.
His distinguished career includes teaching positions at Cambridge, Leeds, UEA, King's College London, Dundee, and the Open University, plus shorter appointments at Barcelona and Frankfurt universities. He has been awarded significant fellowships at The Huntington Library, Clark Library (UCLA), Lewis Walpole Library (2019), and the International Center for Jefferson Studies (2022).
