Iain Higgins

Professor Iain Higgins holds a faculty position in the Department of English at the University of Victoria since 2001. His academic roles include former Director of the Medieval Studies Program (2006-2009) and Humanities Faculty Fellow in Scottish Studies (2010-2012). He has held editorial roles with Canadian Literature (1995-2003, 2013-2014) and currently serves on the editorial board of The Malahat Review. Higgins' research focuses on medieval travel narratives, utopian/dystopian themes, and literary translation.

Education: BA and MA from University of British Columbia, PhD from Harvard University.

His scholarly work emphasizes textual analysis of medieval manuscripts and their transformations across languages/audiences. Key contributions include groundbreaking studies on John Mandeville's Travels, exploring how medieval texts shaped cultural perceptions of the East. Awards include the John Nicholas Brown Prize for Writing East and an MLA translation honor.

Editorial and advisory roles span Canadian medievalist organizations and literary journals. His interdisciplinary approach bridges medieval and modern poetics through comparative studies of travel writing, utopian thought, and cross-cultural exchanges.

Research initiatives include examining pre-colonial Euro-Atlantic narratives and the intersection of medieval Scottish literature with religious/ethnic discourses. Higgins maintains active engagement with public scholarship through video profiles and collaborative editorial projects.