Women as Authors and Readers in Medieval England (ca. 1100-1500)
Lead Research Organisation:
Aberystwyth University
Department Name: English
Abstract
This project examines writing by for women produces in England between 1100-1500, written in Latin, French and Middle English. It concentrates on selected writers and text, focusing specifically on construction of authorship in relation to women 'writers' (addressing issues of literacy and collaboration) and the nature of the readership / audience (discussing literary spheres and networks, and the emergence of lay readers in the context of increasing vernacularity). It examines questions about women's literacy history in the pre-modern period, the functionality of text, and the complex ways in which authors and readers/audience work together to produce meaning.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Diane Watt (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | Women were extensively engaged in literary culture in the period 1100-1500 not only as writers but as patrons and readers. Focusing on collaborative authorship reveals the extent of this engagement, as does a consideration of works in Latin and French as well as English. |
| Exploitation Route | Understanding women's education and women's history and religious history as well as the nature of literacy and literature. Use for library and archives, schools, media and contemporary historical literature. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://theconversation.com/the-womens-prize-for-fiction-and-our-forgotten-literary-foremothers-27483 |
| Description | Education: major output informed teaching of the subject area at university level Further research and publications: the research has redefined our understanding of medieval women's literary culture and has been widely cited Public understanding: the research: the research has been cited in journalism and the media, and has informed the production of television and radio productions. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2007 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic |