Classical and Medieval
The Department of English supports a broad range of research in classical and medieval studies. Medievalists and classicists within the Department share interests in the politics of reception, and in the relationship between writing and orality. Recent research has been concerned with Greek oratory, Anglo-Saxon inscriptions, narrative structures in Arthurian legends, early sixteenth-century writing on Chaucer and Lydgate, and the performance of Greek drama in twentieth-century Europe. Another strand of the Department’s work in reception studies is concerned with the interface between manuscript and print. This has led to research on reading practices in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, as well as a series of important bibliographical works.
At the same time, the Department has a well-established reputation for its work on the nature and interaction of literary and historical discourses. Ongoing research is exploring both pre- and post-conquest texts, and Layamon’s version of British history.
Another important characteristic of Classical and Medieval scholars at Queen Mary is the diversity of their outputs. As well as a series of high profile monographs and essay collections, staff have produced both printed and digitised editions of key medieval texts, and a series of spoken-voice recordings of Middle English literature.
Staff working in these areas include:
- Rosamund Allen
- Julia Boffey
- Michael Edwards
- Katie Fleming
- Peter Orton