معرفی
Laura Moretti serves as Professor of Early Modern Japanese Literature and Culture at the University of Cambridge, holding dual roles as University Teaching Officer in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and Official Fellow at Emmanuel College since 2012.
Her academic journey began with undergraduate studies at Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, followed by two years of research at the University of Tokyo, culminating in a 2003 PhD from her Italian alma mater. Prior to Cambridge, she taught nine years at Ca’ Foscari and two years at Newcastle University.
Professor Moretti's research pioneers interdisciplinary approaches to early modern Japanese culture (17th-19th centuries), uniquely bridging literature, art history, and book history. Her groundbreaking work on graphic narratives and ludic traditions challenges canonical narratives by recovering marginalized textual forms through rigorous analysis of woodblock prints, board games, and archival materials. Current projects explore the intersection of games and literature in Edo-period Japan.
Her publication trajectory reveals consistent innovation across visual and textual domains, with recent works like the 2024 co-edited volume on Kusazōshi demonstrating deep engagement with publishing history and visual culture. This scholarship consistently examines how popular literature functioned within Edo-period social and economic contexts.
Her teaching excellence has been recognized through prestigious awards:
- Pilkington Prize for contribution to excellence in teaching
- CUSU student-led teaching award (2019) for Undergraduate Supervisor
Professor Moretti actively mentors postgraduate researchers in Japanese premodern literature, encouraging interdisciplinary projects connecting visual culture and book history. While specific grant funding isn't detailed in the source, her sustained publication record indicates robust institutional support for her archival research at Cambridge.
