Hilary Brown

Hilary Brown is an Associate Professor in Translation Studies at the University of Birmingham's Department of Modern Languages, part of the School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music. She specializes in early modern European cultural history, with a focus on Anglo-German relations and gendered aspects of translation. Currently serving as Head of Research for her department and Principal Investigator for the AHRC-funded Feminist Translation Network, she has held prestigious fellowships including a Humboldt Foundation Senior Research Fellowship (2017-19). Her research challenges historical narratives about women's marginalization in intellectual spheres, emphasizing their pivotal roles in translation and cultural transfer.

Education: MA (Hons) in Modern Languages (French/German) from St Andrews, MA in Anglo-German Cultural Relations (Leeds), PhD (Cantab) from Cambridge. Career highlights include postdoctoral research at Universität Potsdam and Lectureship at Swansea University before joining Birmingham in 2011. She has supervised numerous PhD students exploring gender and translation, including works on early modern women translators and cross-cultural interpreting histories.

Her research interests coalesce around redefining translation history through intersectional lenses, with key contributions like Women and Early Modern Cultures of Translation (OUP, 2022). She co-edits ANGERMION journal and organizes major conferences like the Feminist Translation Network events. Awards include AHRC grants, a British Academy award, and Leverhulme funding. Beyond academia, she serves as external examiner for translation programs at Swansea and Newcastle Universities.

Her work bridges digital humanities through projects like the Early Modern Translation and the Digital Humanities volume, while advocating for gender equity through initiatives like the Athena Swan award for her school. Active in editorial roles and conference organization, she maintains a lab focused on feminist translation studies and early modern cultural networks.