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Karin Kukkonen is a Professor in Comparative Literature at the University of Oslo, Norway. She holds a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant for her project JEUX – Literary Games, Poetics and the Early-Modern Novel , and leads the interdisciplinary LCE (Literature, Cognition and Emotions) research center. Her academic journey includes roles as Associate Professor (2015-2017), Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Fellow (2013-2015), and Balzan Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2010-2013). Her research focuses on cognitive poetics, cognitive narratology, and the history of the novel, particularly exploring links between early modern poetics and contemporary cognitive theories. Notable works include A Prehistory of Cognitive Poetics (2017) and Probability Designs: Literature and Predictive Processing (2020). Current projects investigate creativity, contingency, and literary writing, alongside interdisciplinary collaborations with psychology and linguistics. Key awards include the University of Oslo’s Younger Researcher of the Year (2019) and election to the Academy of Europe (2022). She has held visiting roles at EHESS (Paris), La Sapienza (Rome), and the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin. Her work bridges literary studies with cognitive science, emphasizing embodied cognition and narrative design. Grants and leadership include directing the LCE initiative (2019-2023) and managing the JEUX project. She teaches courses on comparative literature, cognitive literary study, and eighteenth-century fiction. Her research outputs span monographs, peer-reviewed articles, and the LCE Podcast, showcasing interdisciplinary dialogue.

• Cognitive Poetics
• Narratology
• Eighteenth-Century Literature
• +4 more

Michael Cook is the Class of 1943 University Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. Previously, he held positions at SOAS (University of London), including Lecturer in Economic History and Reader in the History of the Near and Middle East. His research focuses on Islamic history, theology, and the intersection of religious values with political movements. Cook has been recognized with prestigious awards such as the Balzan Prize (2019) and the Holberg Prize (2014). He has supervised over thirty doctoral students in diverse fields of Islamic and Near Eastern studies. Education: Studied at the University of Cambridge (English and European history) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, where he specialized in Ottoman population history. His academic journey includes extensive research on pre-Islamic Arabia, Quranic studies, and medieval Islamic law and ethics. Research Interests: His work spans Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, Islamic theology, the Prophet Muhammad’s life, Wahhabism, and comparative religious fundamentalism. He explores how religious values shaped Islamic civilization, notably through studies of al-amr bi’l-ma'ruf (enjoining right and forbidding wrong). Awards and Honors: In addition to major prizes, he holds honorary doctorates, fellowship at the British Academy, and membership in the American Philosophical Society and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His contributions have been acknowledged through awards like the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Mellon Foundation. Teaching and Advising: Cook teaches graduate and undergraduate courses centered on Arabic texts and primary sources. His advising has produced notable scholars across Islamic studies, including work on medieval legal systems, sectarian identities, and cultural histories.

• Islamic History
• Medieval Studies
• Islamic Theology and Law
• +5 more

Professor Clare Brant is a distinguished academic at King's College London, where she serves as Professor of Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture in the Department of English within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. She is also Co-Director of the Centre for Life-Writing Research and serves as Editor of the European Journal of Life Writing. Her work spans multiple disciplines including literature, cultural studies, and digital humanities. Professor Brant's research focuses on three primary areas: eighteenth-century literature and culture, life writing, and blue humanities. She has pioneered work in underwater literature and marine contexts, exploring the relationship between humans, marine species, and oceans. Her innovative Strandlines project documents lives on the Strand in London, while her EGO MEDIA research investigates digital forms of life writing. Professor Brant is also an accomplished poet with four published collections whose work has been translated into Italian, Dutch, and Polish. Her recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward environmental humanities, particularly ocean studies and climate crisis narratives. She has increasingly focused on underwater lives, aquanautics, and the intersection of literature with marine science, while maintaining her foundational work in eighteenth-century studies and life writing traditions. Professor Brant has received numerous prestigious awards for her work, including: ESSE Book Award (2008) for 'Eighteenth-Century Letters and British Culture' British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies Teaching Award (2011) ERC Advanced Grant for EGO MEDIA (2014-2019, €2 million) Election to Academia Europaea (2022) As a dedicated educator and mentor, Professor Brant has supervised numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers through her ERC-funded projects. She has secured significant research funding including the Leverhulme Trust grant for her 'Underwater Lives' project (2022-2025) and participation in a long-COVID-19 research project (2024-2026). She welcomes PhD students working on eighteenth-century topics and selected contemporary subjects. Professor Brant leads several research initiatives including the Centre for Life-Writing Research, the Strandlines digital community project, and the Ocean Space research community. She co-curated the 'DEAR DIARY' exhibition at Somerset House (2017), which was nominated for REF 2020 impact study. Her transdisciplinary approach connects literary studies with environmental concerns, digital media, and public engagement through projects that bridge academic research and community involvement.

• Eighteenth-century literature and culture
• Life writing
• Blue humanities
• +7 more

Monika Fludernik is a Full Professor of English Literature at the University of Freiburg, Germany, where she has held a professorship since October 1994. She currently serves as Director of the graduate School 'Factual and Fictional Narration' (2012-present) and previously directed the graduate school 'History and Narrative' (2008-2012). Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in English and Indo-European Philology from the University of Graz (1982), an M.A. in English and History from the same institution (1983), and tenure (Univ.-Dozent) from the University of Vienna (1992). Professor Fludernik's research spans four primary domains: Narratology (her most influential area, recognized by the 1996 Perkins Prize) Law and literature Postcolonial studies Eighteenth-century studies She currently leads a major Reinhart-Koselleck project on 'Diachronic Narratology' funded by the German Research Council (2019-2024), representing elite recognition of her scholarly impact. Her distinguished honors include: Perkins Prize of the SSNL (1996) Landesforschungspreis Baden-Württemberg (2001) Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2000) Member of the Academia Europaea (2008) Member of the American Philosophical Society (2023) Professor Fludernik has served on approximately twenty-five appointment committees across multiple departments, contributed to curriculum development for new B.A. and M.A. programs, and held leadership roles in major research initiatives including Sonderforschungsbereich 'Muße' (SFB 1015). Her governance contributions include service on the University Senate (2002-2006) and as an elected referee for the German Research Foundation (2016-2020). She maintains significant scholarly influence through editorial roles with journals including Style, Language and Literature, and Arcadia, as well as the book series Narratologia. Her international standing is reflected in prestigious fellowships at Oxford's All Souls College, National Humanities Center, and multiple Institutes for Advanced Study across Europe.

• Narratology
• Law and literature
• Postcolonial studies
• +1 more

John T. Gilmore is a Reader at the University of Warwick's Faculty of Arts , Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies , with a career spanning academic, editorial, and teaching roles. Educated at the University of Cambridge (Ph.D., M.A., B.A. in History), he has held academic positions since 1982, including Lecturer, Associate Professor, and Reader, while also serving as Managing Editor for Caribbean Week and part-time tutor/teacher in Barbados. Education: Ph.D., University of Cambridge (1985) M.A., University of Cambridge (1981) B.A. in History, University of Cambridge (1977) His research intersects Eighteenth-century British literature , Caribbean literature , Neo-Latin poetry , and translation history , with a focus on the classical reception , Latin as cultural capital , and race/gender dynamics . His work explores colonial poetry , slave trade justifications , and cross-cultural translation . Academic awards include a 2016 Leverhulme Trust grant for William Jones' Enlightenment-era work, a British Academy grant (2001) , and early recognition like the Prince Consort Prize (1982) and Lightfoot Scholarship (1980) . He welcomes research proposals in his areas of expertise and is a member of the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies , Royal Asiatic Society , and Early Caribbean Society .

• Eighteenth-century British literature
• Caribbean literature
• History of Translation
• +4 more

Rodolphe Baudin is a Professor of Russian Literature at Sorbonne Université (since 2018) and previously held professorial roles at the University of Strasbourg (2015–2018) and the University of Oklahoma (visiting, 2006). His expertise focuses on 18th- and early 19th-century Russian literature, including travel writing, biography/autobiography, and intellectual ties between Alsace and Russia. He earned a PhD (summa cum laude) and Habilitation from Paris Sorbonne University (2002, 2010), and ranked first in the French ‘Agrégation’ examination for Russian (2003). He has organized major international conferences and exhibitions, such as the 2018 Congress of the International Study Group on Eighteenth-Century Russia and the 2010 ‘Pouchkine illustré’ exhibition. He serves on editorial boards of journals like La Revue russe and Germano-Slavica , and led administrative roles including Head of the Department of Slavonic Studies at Strasbourg (since 2010) and Project Manager for a specialized library. His research explores themes like Russian epistolary traditions, cross-cultural exchanges, and the intellectual history of Alsace-Russia relations. He has authored monographs and edited volumes on figures like Karamzin and Radishchev, emphasizing their societal and political contexts. Awards: Strasbourg University “Espoir” Prize (2015) Grants/Advisory: Supervised 5 doctoral candidates, coordinated national and international academic projects. He co-leads publication series at Strasbourg University Press and actively participates in editorial and scientific boards across Europe and North America.

• 18th- and early 19th-century Russian Literature
• Travel Literature
• Biography and Autobiography Studies
• +3 more

Ballaster Ros is Professor of Eighteenth-Century Studies at the Faculty of English, University of Oxford, and Professorial Fellow in English at Mansfield College since 2009. Previously, she held teaching positions at Mansfield College (1995-2009), University of East Anglia (1989-1993), and was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University (1988-1998). Her research spans multiple areas of literary and cultural studies with a focus on eighteenth-century literature. Specializes in eighteenth-century novel and women's writing Expert in Georgian theatre and popular cultural forms Conducts significant work on feminist criticism and oriental fiction Has published extensively on romance fiction and women's magazines Her publication record shows consistent scholarly output over three decades, with particular emphasis on women's literary history and cross-cultural representations. Her work demonstrates interdisciplinary approaches connecting literary analysis with cultural history and gender studies. The most recent publications focus on comprehensive historical surveys of women's writing traditions. Her notable achievements include: British Academy Rose Mary Crawshay prize (2006) Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship (2003-2006) Oxford University teaching excellence award (2007) Peer Review College Member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Professor Ros has demonstrated exceptional commitment to academic leadership and mentorship. She served as Director of Graduate Studies in English Language and Literature (2009-2011) and has supervised numerous doctoral students with outstanding success. Her external examiner roles at Southampton University, London University, and for seven doctoral theses at various institutions demonstrate her standing in the field. She has also contributed significantly to curriculum development and teaching innovation at Oxford. She chairs seminar programs on 'Gender, Women and Culture' through the Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities and maintains active engagement with theatrical production as Knowledge Exchange Fellow at Royal and Derngate Theater.

• Eighteenth-century novel
• Georgian theatre
• Popular and mass cultural forms
• +7 more

Kenneth Nyberg is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Gothenburg, affiliated with the Department of History within the Faculty of Arts. He holds a Ph.D. (2001) and M.A. (1996) in History from the University of Gothenburg. His research focuses on global history of science, early modern exploration, Linnaean natural history, and digital history. Nyberg has held roles including Reader (Associate Professor) since 2010, Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) from 2006–2010, and Research Fellow at Uppsala University (2002–2010). He has organized major conferences like the Digital History in Sweden Conference (2019) and Nordic conferences on eighteenth-century studies. Nyberg’s administrative service includes roles on the University of Gothenburg’s Quality Committee, Faculty Board, and Board of Teacher Education. His scholarship emphasizes global knowledge circulation, particularly through Linnaean networks and colonial contexts. He has authored/co-authored works on figures like Pehr Löfling and Anders Sparrman, as well as digital history methodologies. Awards include Fellowship at the Linnean Society of London (2005) and leadership in the Swedish Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (2015–2019). Nyberg’s teaching contributions include developing web-based resources for global history education. He actively engages with historical archives, exemplified by his work with Pehr Löfling’s letter-book in Madrid. His research bridges traditional historiography with digital innovation, reflecting a commitment to both scholarly rigor and accessibility.

• Global History of Science
• Early Modern Travel and Exploration
• Linnaean Natural History
• +3 more

Sebastian Felten is Tenure Track Professor of Early Modern History of Science at the Department of History, Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies, University of Vienna. He previously held positions as Universitätsassistent (Postdoc) at the University of Vienna (2019-2023), Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University's Europe Center (2022), and Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Berlin (2015-2018). His educational background includes: PhD in History from King's College London (2011-2015) M.A. in Early Modern History from King's College London (2010-2011) B.A. in History and German Literature and Linguistics from Humboldt-Universität Berlin (2005-2009) Professor Felten's research focuses on the history of earth sciences, history of technical sciences, historical epistemology, history of knowledge, sustainability, resources, bureaucracy, and financial history. His work bridges the history of science with social, cultural, and economic history, particularly examining knowledge about nature through mineral resources in metallurgy, mineralogy, economics, and ergonomics. His research explores how early modern resource extraction in Central Europe developed contradictory rationalities that continue to influence modern approaches to resource management. His recent publications demonstrate a growing focus on administrative practices in mineral resource extraction, bureaucratic knowledge systems, and the history of money. The trend shows increasing engagement with sustainability issues, resource management, and the intersection of scientific knowledge with bureaucratic and administrative practices in early modern Europe, connecting historical analysis to contemporary environmental challenges. Scientific awards and recognition: King's College London, Jinty Nelson Prize King's College London, Early Modern History Prize Professor Felten serves as Principal Investigator for the ERC Starting Grant "Sustained Concerns: Administration of Mineral Resource Extraction in Central Europe, 1550-1850" (SCARCE, 2023-2028), which explores historical approaches to resource management to inform contemporary debates on environmental sustainability. He co-convenes the Forschungsschwerpunkt Wissenschaftsgeschichte and the AG Wissenschaftsgeschichte, a monthly colloquium on the history of science, and has received funding from various sources including the Zukunftsfonds of the Republic of Austria. Professor Felten is actively involved in the Key Research Area History of Science at the University of Vienna and serves as a reviewer for prominent journals including History of Science, Nuncius, and Isis. He is also a remote referee for the European Research Council and maintains affiliations with professional organizations including the History of Science Society and Renaissance Society of America.

• History of Science
• Early Modern History
• History of Finance
• +7 more

Eva Kernbauer is a Professor of Art History at the University of Applied Arts Vienna since 2012 and currently serves as Vice President for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). She has held visiting scholar positions, including at Yale-NUS College (2023), and is a Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (since 2023). Key roles: FWF Board of Trustees Advisor (2020–2024), Board of Trustees member at Albertina Museum (2020–2024), Jury member for Oskar Kokoschka Prize. Research focuses on anachrony in contemporary art , historiography, visual culture, and the intersections of art history with political and social discourse. Her scholarly work spans art-historical analysis of eighteenth-century audience models , contemporary artistic practices interrogating temporality, and editorial leadership in series like Contact Zones (de Gruyter) and the Belvedere Research Journal . She has led third-party funded projects such as FWF Individual Project P 27877-G26 and the analysis of the Elisabethinen Convent’s portrait collection. Notable lectures and symposia include presentations at Yale-NUS College, the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florence, and workshops on topics like Anthropocene Temporalities and Artistic Historiography . Her 2022 book Art, History, and Anachronic Interventions Since 1990 (Routledge) examines how contemporary art redefines historical consciousness through anachronism.

• Art History
• Cultural History
• Visual Culture
• +4 more

Dr. Manon Burz-Labrande is a Lecturer and researcher in the Department of English and American Studies at the University of Vienna, specializing in historical-cultural intersections of literature and societal phenomena. Her current teaching includes courses on seventeenth-century witch trials in contemporary fiction, British ghost stories (1860-1925), and dark tourism. Her research spans: Representation of seventeenth-century English witch trials in modern culture Nineteenth-century penny dreadfuls and popular fiction circulation Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Gothic traditions Sound studies within Gothic literature Victorian scientific romances and Neo-Victorian adaptations Her recent monograph Spectral Sounds: Unquiet Tales of Acoustic Weird (2024) establishes her expertise in auditory dimensions of Gothic storytelling, analyzing how sound constructs spectral narratives across historical contexts. This work extends her doctoral focus on Victorian popular print culture. As a qualified English and French language educator with translation experience, she integrates pedagogical innovation into courses like Dark Tourism, Cultural Heritage and Media Literacy . Her research methodology combines literary analysis with cultural history, examining how historical trauma (e.g., witch trials) is reimagined through contemporary media conventions.

• Seventeenth-Century Witch Trials Representation
• Victorian Literature and Culture
• Gothic Literature
• +6 more

Catriona Seth is the Marshal Foch Professor of French Literature at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of All Souls College , where she has been based since 2015. She has previously held academic positions at Université de Lorraine, Université de Rouen, and Queen’s University Belfast, and has served as a visiting professor at institutions including the University of Augsburg, Indiana University Bloomington, and the University of Southampton. Her research focuses on: French literature of the long 18th century (1760–1820) Cultural history and history of ideas Medical humanities, particularly smallpox studies Textual scholarship and archival research Autobiographical writing and contemporary French fiction Scientific awards include: Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences (DSSc) from Queen’s University Belfast (2018) Fellow of the British Academy (2017) Associate Fellow of the Académie Royale de Belgique (2018) President of the Société Française d'Etude du XVIIIe Siècle (2015) Zaharoff and Heath Harrison Scholarships (1986) Research and Supervision: She has supervised numerous doctoral and master’s students and co-led international projects such as the Franco-German ANR/DFG EDULUM network (2015–2018) and the AHRC Dreaming Romantic Europe initiative (2018–2020). Her editorial roles include directing the Bibliothèque du XVIIIe siècle series at Classiques Garnier and serving on the board of En attendant Nadeau .

• French Literature
• Enlightenment
• Eighteenth-century France
• +6 more

Siegfried Huigen is a Professor of Dutch Literature and Cultural History at the University of Wrocław in Poland and a Visiting Professor at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His career spans over three decades with roles including Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer at Stellenbosch. His research focuses on colonial history, Dutch literature, and the interplay between science and colonialism in regions like the Dutch East Indies and South Africa. Research Interests: History of Dutch colonialism and its cultural legacies Ethnographic and natural history writings of the 18th and 19th centuries Travel literature and its role in shaping colonial discourse Memory studies and Afrikaans cultural monuments Publications reflect a deep engagement with colonial knowledge networks, particularly the works of François Valentyn, and the socio-political dynamics of Dutch colonialism. Awards include recognition from the National Research Foundation of South Africa and prestigious fellowships. Advising and grants: While specific students and grants are not listed, his extensive publications indicate significant mentorship in colonial studies. Collaborations include co-editing works on new nationalisms and postcolonial theories.

• History of Dutch colonialism
• Dutch Literature
• History of colonial science and scholarship
• +2 more

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.

• Eighteenth-century novel
• Georgian theatre
• Popular and mass cultural forms
• +3 more