Emilie Murphy

Dr. Emilie Murphy is a Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at the Department of History, University of York, and serves as Director of the Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies. She co-directs the international research network 'Soundscapes in the Early Modern World' and is a Research Associate at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

• PhD in History, University of York
• Research interests span cultural, religious, and sensory history of England and English-speaking communities (1500-1700)

Her research explores the intersection of sound, voice, and performance culture in post-Reformation England, focusing on how English Catholics used music and sensory practices to maintain confessional identity under persecution. She also investigates transnationalism through the lens of English nuns in European convents, examining multilingualism and linguistic encounters.

Key themes in her 2014–2020 publications include post-Reformation Catholicism, sensory history, multilingualism, and exile communities. These works analyze musical miscellanies, convent governance, and acoustic dimensions of travel writing.

Scientific recognition includes the Royal Historical Society Centenary Fellow award (2013). She actively participates in academic events like the Festival of Ideas concert performance (2024) and contributes to public engagement initiatives.

As a supervisor, she advises postgraduate research on topics including:

• Music and soundscapes in religious contexts
• Post-Reformation Catholicism
• Women's writing and convent life
• Travel, mobility, and exile

Current projects include a monograph on Listening to Early Modern Travel Writing (Cambridge University Press) and Exiled Lives: English Nuns in Catholic Europe (in early stages).