Elystan Griffiths

Elystan Griffiths is a Reader in Modern Languages at the University of Birmingham, affiliated with the Department of Modern Languages within the College of Arts and Law. His research focuses on German literature and culture from 1750 to 1850, particularly examining social/political inequalities, outsider figures like J.M.R. Lenz and Heinrich von Kleist, and the Sturm und Drang movement. He has published monographs on German pastoral writing and co-edits German Life and Letters.

Education: MA (Cantab) in Modern and Medieval Languages from Cambridge, PhD in German Studies (Birmingham), and a PG Cert HE. Served as Deputy Director of Education (2019-2024).

Research interests include 18th-century German literature, contemporary German/Austrian film, and transnational cultural studies. Current projects explore obedience in cultural narratives and Kleist's journalism. Supervises PhD students on 20th/21st-century German-language writing.

Editorial roles include co-editing the Lenz-Jahrbuch (2025+) and contributing to scholarly journals. Active in academic governance as a trustee of the Yardley Educational Foundation.