Dr. Harriet Soper

Biography

Harriet Soper is a lecturer in Medieval Literature at the University of Bristol, specializing in Old English poetry and medieval literature. Her research interests are wide-ranging, including representations of aging, the life course, and the interplay between human bodies and their surroundings. She is currently working on her monograph, 'Life Course in Old English Poetry' (Cambridge University Press, 2024), which examines how Old English poetry reflects fluid and variable human lives shaped by unexpected events. Harriet has held various academic positions, including a Stipendiary Research Fellowship at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge (2017–2019), and a Simon June Li Fellowship at Lincoln College, University of Oxford (2019–2023). She has also been a visiting scholar at institutions such as the Huntington Library and Yale University. In addition to her monograph, she co-edited 'Early Medieval English Life Courses: Cultural-Historical Perspectives' (Brill, 2022), which explores the entanglements of human and nonhuman lives. Harriet engages with contemporary discussions on aging and the life cycle through her work and has contributed articles and book chapters to scholarly publications. She currently supervises PhD students researching Old English and Old Middle English literature.

Research Interests

Experience