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Nadine AkkermanView profile

Professor

• Early Modern Literature
• Early Modern Culture
• English Literature
• +6 more

Nadine Akkerman serves as Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture at Leiden University, where she is affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities, specifically the Centre for the Arts in Society and the Medieval and Early Modern Studies research group. Her interdisciplinary work bridges literary studies, history, and material culture with a particular focus on women's roles in early modern intellectual and political networks. Akkerman has established herself as a leading expert in deciphering historical correspondence and studying early modern intelligence networks, particularly the overlooked contributions of women as spies and intelligence gatherers during the 17th century. Her groundbreaking scholarship reveals how women's perceived political incapacity paradoxically made them effective intelligence operatives who could move undetected through political spaces. Her research methodology combines archival investigation with material analysis of historical documents, including innovative approaches to studying letterlocking techniques. Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent research trajectory exploring women's agency in early modern political networks. The 2023 encyclopedia entry 'Women and Spy Networks' synthesizes her findings on gendered intelligence operations, while her 2018 monograph 'Invisible Agents' fundamentally reshaped scholarly understanding of women's participation in espionage. Current work on 'The Queen of Hearts: The Life of Elizabeth Stuart' continues her focus on royal women's political networks and correspondence. Member of the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 2017 Akkerman actively supervises multiple PhD candidates including Marijn van Dijk, Joanna Greenland, Suzanne Klare, Clodagh Murphy, and Holly Riach, fostering the next generation of scholars in early modern studies. She chairs the committee organizing Leiden University's Annie Romein-Verschoor Lecture, demonstrating her commitment to promoting women's history and scholarship. Her research is supported by various academic grants that enable her interdisciplinary investigations into early modern correspondence, intelligence networks, and women's political participation.

David van der LindenView profile

Assistant Professor

• Early modern history
• Religious history
• France
• +7 more

Dr. David van der Linden is an Assistant Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts, Department of History. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at Radboud University Nijmegen (2019-2021). His research focuses on religious coexistence, conflict, and transnational movements in early modern Europe, with particular expertise in French history, the Low Countries, religious conflict, memory studies, and transitional justice. Dr. van der Linden's educational background includes: Ph.D. in History, Utrecht University, 2013 M.A. in History, Utrecht University, cum laude, 2008 B.A. in Liberal Arts, Utrecht University, cum laude, 2006 His primary research interests center on religious conflict and coexistence in early modern Europe, particularly examining how societies navigated religious diversity following civil wars. Dr. van der Linden's current project "Building Peace" investigates transitional justice mechanisms created after the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598), analyzing how peace was maintained through bipartisan courts and peace commissioners. He also explores how Huguenot refugees experienced exile in the Dutch Republic, challenging heroic narratives of the Huguenot experience to reveal the complex socio-economic, religious and political challenges faced by ordinary refugees. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary questions about peacebuilding, memory, and reconciliation in post-conflict societies. Dr. van der Linden's publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on memory, religious conflict, and transitional justice in early modern France and the Low Countries. His recent work increasingly examines the long-term viability of peacebuilding mechanisms and how subsequent generations engaged with instituted frameworks for reconciliation. The interdisciplinary nature of his research connects historical methodology with insights from political science, legal studies, and memory studies, creating a rich framework for understanding historical peace processes. His innovative use of technology, such as X-ray tomography for analyzing sealed historical documents, demonstrates methodological creativity in historical research. Dr. van der Linden has received numerous prestigious awards and fellowships: VIDI grant (2021-2026) from the Dutch Research Council Nancy Lyman Roelker Prize (2018) for best article on sixteenth-century French history Harold J. Grimm Prize (2018) for best article reflecting the Reformation as a religious phenomenon VENI Grant (2015-2019) from the Dutch Research Council Rubicon Grant (2014-2015) from the Dutch Research Council Scaliger Fellowship (2014) from the Scaliger Institute Dr. van der Linden leads the five-year "Building Peace" research project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), which develops a historical framework for transitional justice by investigating mechanisms created after the French Wars of Religion. As managing editor of Early Modern Low Countries and editorial board member of French History, he plays a significant role in shaping scholarly discourse in his field. He is also involved in the international interdisciplinary project "Signed, Sealed, and Undelivered" with scholars from Leiden, Utrecht, London, and MIT, focusing on historical correspondence and letterlocking techniques. Through his "Building Peace" project and other research initiatives, Dr. van der Linden has established collaborative networks with institutions across Europe and North America, creating interdisciplinary teams that combine historical expertise with technological innovation. His work with the Brienne Collection of undelivered letters has generated significant public interest and demonstrates the value of historical research for understanding contemporary issues of communication, memory, and identity.

• Early Modern English Literature
• Digital Humanities
• Manuscript Studies
• +5 more

Daniel Smith is a Senior Lecturer in English Language & Literature, specializing in Early Modern English Literature, Digital Humanities, and Letterlocking. His research explores the intersection of textual analysis, historical security practices, and material culture. Research Trends: His work focuses on Renaissance epistolary practices, including cryptographic methods like letterlocking, and extends to digital reconstruction technologies for sealed documents. He also examines literary networks (e.g., John Donne, Thomas Kyd) and socio-historical contexts of early modern women’s writings. Scientific Awards: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2019) Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (2017) Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (2025) John Donne Society Distinguished Publication Award (2011) University English Book Prize (2016) Academic Contributions: Editor of Liber amicorum H. R. Woudhuysen , a bibliographical tribute, and key works on Thomas Kyd and the Conway Papers. His virtual exhibitions and digital tools (e.g., letterlocking.org) bridge historical scholarship and technology.

Daniel Starza SmithView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Early Modern English Literature (1500-1700)
• Manuscript Studies
• John Donne's Works and Patronage
• +3 more

Dr Daniel Starza Smith is a Senior Lecturer in Early Modern English Literature at King’s College London, within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities’ Department of English. His research focuses on John Donne, early modern manuscript culture, and letterlocking—the study of pre-envelope epistolary security. He has held positions at the University of Reading, UCL, and a British Academy Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Lincoln College, Oxford. His work includes landmark projects like the Donne Variorum and Signed, Sealed, & Undelivered , and he pioneered virtual unfolding of sealed letters using X-ray microtomography. He is General Editor of John Donne’s Correspondence for OUP and leads the Letterlocking project, featured in over 300 media outlets. Research interests include Donne’s patrons, manuscript circulation, women’s writing, and editorial practices. He teaches early modern literature across undergraduate and graduate levels at King’s, emphasizing research methodologies. His awards include Fellowships from the Royal Historical Society (2017) and Higher Education Academy (2019), and the John Donne Society Distinguished Publication Award (2011). Education: Post-doctoral research at Lincoln College, Oxford; prior roles at Reading University and UCL. His research group, Unlocking History, delivers letterlocking workshops for archives, libraries, and the public. Projects include collaborations with MIT Libraries, The National Archives, and the British Library. Key publications include John Donne and the Conway Papers (OUP, 2014) and co-authored Letterlocking (MIT Press, 2024). Grants and partnerships include work with the British Academy and interdisciplinary initiatives involving computational techniques for historical document analysis. Future projects will deepen Donne studies and expand letterlocking research methodologies. He is affiliated with King’s Research Centre for Early Modern Studies and Shakespeare Centre London. Current research explores Donne’s correspondence and material culture of early modern letters, with a focus on collaborative, technology-driven approaches to archival preservation and interpretation.