Florian Mussgnug

Florian Mussgnug is a Professor of Comparative Literature and Italian Studies at University College London (UCL), serving as Vice Dean International in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. He holds a concurrent professorial appointment at the University of Rome Tre (2021-2025) and is a Research Associate at Heidelberg University’s Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies (CAPAS). Mussgnug earned his PhD from the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa after studies at Balliol College, Oxford.

His research focuses on environmental humanities, ecocriticism, and comparative literature with an emphasis on Italian, British, and German literatures. He co-directs UCL Anthropocene, a multidisciplinary hub addressing climate change intersections between arts, sciences, and health. Recent initiatives include organizing COP26-linked sustainability events and directing UCL’s Cities Partnerships Programme in Rome (2018–2021).

Mussgnug edits the Papers of the British School at Rome and co-founded the New Comparative Criticism book series. He serves on editorial boards, international prize juries, and academic assessment panels across Europe. Awards include the Premio Nicoletta Quinto (2002) for early-career work and the Edinburgh Gadda Prize (2012) for The Eloquence of Ghosts.

His teaching spans undergraduate and doctoral programs, emphasizing transnational literatures and creative critical practices. He leads international summer schools (Hermes Consortium) and chairs the International Comparative Literature Association’s Comparative History of Literatures committee.