Sarah Bowden

Dr. Sarah Bowden is a Reader in German and Medieval Studies at King's College London, serving as Pro-Vice Dean (Assessment). She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and joined King's in 2012 after a research fellowship at St Hugh's College, Oxford. Her expertise lies in medieval German literature and culture, with a focus on 11^th-12^th-century literary culture, penitential theology, and the development of German as a literary language.

Education: BA, MA, and PhD from the University of Cambridge, specializing in German and Latin. Awards include the Humboldt Foundation Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (2018) and the Inaugural Impact Fellow designation.

Research projects include the AHRC-funded 'Liturgical and Literary Landscapes' (St Oswald's cult) and the Thyssen Foundation's 'Sacred Secular' project on 12^th-century religious/secular dynamics. She co-leads interdisciplinary initiatives at King’s, including the Centre for Late Antique and Medieval Studies.

Teaching spans medieval literature, translation, and cultural history. Public engagement includes BBC Radio 4 appearances and community projects in Peterborough. She advises PhD students in medieval German literature and has published extensively on penitential practices, epic poetry, and manuscript culture.