Karen Leeder

Karen Leeder is Professor of Modern German Literature at the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, University of Oxford, and Fellow/Tutor at New College. She holds the Taylor-Schwartz Chair at Queen's College, a position she assumed in October 2022 with an inaugural lecture on Durs Grünbein and the destruction of Dresden. Leeder is a prize-winning translator of contemporary German poetry into English, particularly known for her translations of Ulrike Almut Sandig's work.

Her research spans modern German literature, poetry translation, and contemporary German poetry. She has published extensively on these topics, with notable works including her translation of Sandig's 'Thick of It' and 'Grimm,' as well as her critical essay examining identity and voice in Sandig's poetry. Leeder's work demonstrates a particular interest in the translation of contemporary German poetic voices and the representation of historical trauma in German literature.

Previously serving as the TORCH Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the Southbank Centre, London, Leeder has consistently bridged academic research with public engagement. Her scholarship connects German and English literary traditions, making significant contributions to the understanding and appreciation of contemporary German literature in the English-speaking world.

• Professor of Modern German Literature, Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, University of Oxford
• Fellow/Tutor at New College
• Holder of the Taylor-Schwartz Chair at Queen's College
• Prize-winning translator of German poetry