Dr. Johan Koppenol

Biography

Johan Koppenol studied Dutch Language and Literature at Leiden University and began his academic career as a PhD student. He was appointed as a university teacher at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen before completing his PhD in 1998 with honors. He taught at the University of Amsterdam before joining Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he became a full professor of Older Dutch Literature in 2000. Koppenol's research interests include the rhetoricians' movement of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, poetics during the literary renaissance, and literature from Leiden. He has published works about key literary figures such as Jan van Hout, Joost van den Vondel, and Jacob Westerbaen, and has co-edited poetry collections including those of P.C. Hooft. Currently, he is working on a biography of Jacob Cats, a Dutch poet and statesman. He teaches courses on Literary History, Book History, Knowledge, and Literature in Visual Culture.

Research Interests