Birkbeck University of London seeks a first postdoctoral research associate for their project on seventeenth-century non-elite writings and writers. This is a fixed term 12 months post at 0.5FTE on the Leverhulme Trust funded project ‘Written Worlds in Seventeenth-Century England’ based in the Department of English, Birkbeck University of London.

You will undertake dedicated research on a Leverhulme Trust funded large project grant, researching and writing on non-elite writing in seventeenth-century England. You will have the opportunity to work in archives, develop the project database and work on developing your own academic writing in an individual paper.

Working closely with Principal Investigator (PI) Sue Wiseman (Dept of English Theatre and Creative Writing, Birkbeck) and Co-Investigator (CI) Brodie Waddell (Dept of History, Classics and Archaeology) you will lay the foundations of four interlocking packages for research: non-elite writing generated in the provinces; in and in relation to London; by women; and in relation to travel and encounter. This involves investigating datasets and working in archives. You will help the PI and CI to establish a database, working to build entries, establish formats and keep records. You will work with the PI and CI to join literary and historical methods in approaching the material and reflect on methodologies. Working primarily with the PI you will help to prepare a colloquium and potentially liaise with participants. Finally, you will develop a research paper on non-elite writing to deliver verbally and work towards shaping for publication.

After the first year you will have the opportunity to apply for one of the four Research Associate posts (fixed term, 34 months) specialising in work on non-elite writing in the areas of Provinces, Women, London and Travel and Encounter, and to continue working with the project research, building the database, working towards publication goals, and potentially editing text.  

You have opportunity to work with staff in the Department of English, Theatre and Creative Writing in the School of Arts, which will be your base department, and with staff in the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology which will be your second home. You will participate in our Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Worlds and in the London Renaissance Seminar as well as be able to participate in Arts Week, the School’s annual short festival.

This is a half-time post and we will work with the postholder to ensure a balance between work on the database and research packages, the archives and analytical writing in order to establish a clear and viable work pattern.

You should have a good first degree (probably in English Literature, History or a related area); have completed a PhD in a relevant subject area (which will most likely be English or History); and have a record of academic publication supported by robust plans for present and future research. You will need a basic ability to work with a database; have basic ability to research in English language manuscript and print primary materials 1600-1730; and you should be willing to build on and improve those skills and to put together historical and literary methods.

Application Deadline: 22 April 2022

More details on the role are available here