Johanna Harris

Dr. Johanna Harris serves as an Associate Professor in the Western Civilisation Program within the Faculty of Education and Arts at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). Her scholarly work centers on early modern literature, religion, and politics, with specialized expertise in epistolary culture, manuscript studies, and the medical humanities. Currently, she co-edits the Oxford University Press edition of Richard Baxter's correspondence and prepares Thomas Traherne's meditational prose for publication.

Her research interests span early modern non-fictional prose, particularly letters and devotional writing, analyzing figures such as Andrew Marvell, Richard Baxter, and Thomas Traherne alongside lesser-known women writers like Brilliana Harley and Lucy Robartes. She investigates literature's ethical dimensions, including human dignity, bibliotherapy, and intergenerational cohesion, often bridging literary studies with medical humanities.

Harris's recent publications (2020-2024) reveal a sustained engagement with puritan literary traditions, epistolary networks, and dignity studies. Her work frequently appears in Oxford University Press volumes and special journal issues, demonstrating interdisciplinary reach across literature, history, and ethics. Key themes include religious correspondence during political upheaval, medical humanities applications in aging populations, and ethical frameworks derived from early modern texts.

Her scientific awards and recognitions include:

• Exeter nominee for the Higher Education Academy's National Teaching Fellowship (2017)
• 350th 'Points of Light' award from the UK Prime Minister and Cabinet Office (2015)
• University of Exeter Merit Award for outstanding teaching (2012-13)
• Clarendon Scholarship from the University of Oxford (2003-07)

Harris has secured competitive research funding including Folger Shakespeare Library Fellowships, Headley Trust awards for intergenerational reading projects, and UPP Foundation grants supporting 'co-living' initiatives in care homes. She advises on AHRC-funded letter projects and COST Actions focused on historical correspondence networks.

She directs the Exeter Care Homes Reading Project (2011-2022) and the Exeter Intergenerational Project (2018-19), fostering literary engagement between university students and elderly residents. As co-general editor of the Richard Baxter correspondence and volume editor for The Oxford Traherne, she leads major collaborative editorial teams involving international scholars.