Dr. Jennifer Richards

Biography

Jennifer Richards is a Professor of English at the University of Cambridge and holds the Joseph Cowen Professorship of English Literature. Her academic journey began at St. Martin's Comprehensive School in Caerphilly and continued through her BA in English Literature at Queen Mary College, University of London. She has taught English Language at Silesian University of Technology and the Polish Academy of Sciences before returning to the University of Edinburgh for her doctoral studies. In 1995, she took a lectureship in English Literature at Newcastle University, making history as one of the first women to hold one of the oldest chairs in English Literature in the UK. A Fellow of the British Academy and the Royal Historical Society, Richards is recognized for her impactful research in areas such as the history of reading, rhetoric, and the physicality of reading books. Currently, she is the principal investigator for the AHRC-funded Thomas Nashe Project, which aims to create a critical edition of Nashe's works, and she is involved in interdisciplinary projects exploring the emotional engagement of readers and the historical context of literature, particularly in the early modern period. Her notable publications include 'Voices of Books in the English Renaissance' and collaboration on works that examine the intersection of literature and sound.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards