Michael I. Allen

Michael I. Allen is an Associate Professor of Classics and the College at the University of Chicago, specializing in Carolingian literary culture and Latin palaeography. His research focuses on textual transmission, early medieval libraries, and the intellectual networks of 9th-century France and Germany. Allen holds a PhD from the University of Toronto (1994).

His current projects include a critical edition of Lupus of Ferrières' letters (Paris, BnF lat. 2858) and collaborative work on re-editing Einhard's letters using advanced imaging techniques. He also contributes to exhibition catalogues analyzing medieval manuscripts as knowledge networks.

Recent publications explore epistolary culture, textual recovery, and classical works' roles in Carolingian intellectual life. His work bridges palaeography with social history, revealing how manuscripts shaped medieval scholarly communities.

Collaborations include projects with Prof. C. Veyrard-Cosme (Paris) on Einhard's letters and contributions to interdisciplinary volumes on medieval letter-writing practices.