Timothy Billings

Timothy Billings is a Professor of English and Member of the Comparative Literature Program at Middlebury College. He specializes in early modern English poetry, Chinese poetry, translation studies, and creative writing. He holds advanced degrees from Cornell University (M.F.A. 1992, M.A. 1994, Ph.D. 1997) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (M.A. 2007 in Sinology). His research focuses on cross-cultural literary translation, with notable works including translations of Victor Segalen’s Stèles, Matteo Ricci’s Jiaoyou lun, and Ezra Pound’s Cathay. These works have garnered prestigious awards, including the MLA Translation Prize and the Ezra Pound Society Book Prize. Billings is also collaborating on a bilingual edition of the Yongzheng Emperor’s poetry and has an upcoming book on Tang-dynasty lüshi poetry.

His teaching spans courses like Lost & Found in Translation, Tang Poetry/American Poetry, and Shakespeare’s Career, emphasizing intercultural dialogue and experimental poetics. His research has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Billings currently co-edits projects with scholars like Yan Zinan and Christopher Bush, reflecting his collaborative approach to literary scholarship.