Sarah Higinbotham

Sarah Higinbotham is an Assistant Professor of English at Emory University, specializing in Shakespeare and early modern literature with a focus on law-literature intersections. She teaches courses on Shakespeare, John Milton, and law and literature, while actively collaborating with students on criminal justice reform through prison education initiatives.

• Education: BA (University of Richmond, 1992), MA (University of Hawaii, 1996), PhD (Georgia State University, 2012)

Her research explores legal violence in early modern England, critical prison theory, and human rights in literary narratives. Her current book project, Early Modern Justice and the Violence of the Law, builds on her archival work at the Folger Shakespeare Library and University of Virginia’s Rare Book School.

Recent publications address carceral pedagogy, restorative justice, and interdisciplinary prison education. She co-founded Common Good Atlanta in 2014, offering accredited college courses in Georgia prisons. Her work has earned recognition including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Award and Governor’s Award for the Arts & Humanities.

• Scientific Awards: 2023 Mellon Foundation Grant, 2021 Atlanta Uniter Award, 2019 Governor's Award, 2017 Folger Fellowship, 2015 Julian Mezey Dissertation Award

Higinbotham’s grants and nonprofit initiatives reflect her commitment to equitable education access, particularly through summer internships and peer tutoring programs in prisons. She has presented nationally and internationally on topics spanning Shakespearean legal ethics, incarcerated pedagogy, and early modern judicial practices.