Dr. John Lavagnino

Biography

John Lavagnino is a Reader in Digital Humanities at King's College London, where he has been a member of the Department of English since 1998 and is also involved with the Centre for Computing in the Humanities. His research interests focus on early modern drama, particularly the textual scholarship and literary reception surrounding works from 1580 to 1642. Notably, Lavagnino's current project investigates the impact of the closing of theatres in 1642 on the reception of Shakespeare’s works, exploring how playwrights from this era swung between fame and obscurity. He has served as the general editor for the Collected Works of Thomas Middleton, a vast collaborative initiative aimed at publishing the writings of this significant Jacobean playwright, which earned him the Modern Language Association’s Prize for Distinguished Scholarly Edition in 2009. Lavagnino is also a former visiting scholar at the National University of Ireland in Galway and at Tsuda College in Tokyo, contributing to his expansive academic profile. He welcomes applications from prospective doctoral students with research interests in early modern drama, textual scholarship, and digital approaches to literature.

Research Interests