Ruth Livesey

Ruth Livesey is a Professor of 19th Century Literature and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) at Royal Holloway, University of London. She holds roles as former Head of the English Department (2020-2023) and Deputy Executive Dean of Humanities. Her academic journey includes a BA from Oxford University, followed by MA and PhD in Women's Studies at Warwick University.

Her research focuses on Victorian literature's intersection with cultural politics, locality, and social movements. Notable projects include the AHRC-funded 'Provincialism: Literature and the Cultural Politics of Middleness' (2019-2020), which linked academic research with community initiatives in Coventry during its City of Culture year. She authored Writing the Stage Coach Nation (OUP 2016) and edited volumes on British-American cultural exchanges.

• Editorial roles: Journal of Victorian Culture (2009-2015), 19: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century
• Key networks: London Nineteenth-Century Studies Seminar steering group

Her awards include the Belcher Fellowship in Victorian Studies (2023) and Fellow of the English Association (2020). Livesey actively promotes early-career researchers through roles in UKRI panels and the FLF Development Network. Recent collaborations include heritage projects with Coventry's cultural institutions.