Dr. Katharine Breen

Biography

Katharine Breen teaches and writes in the areas of medieval English literature and medieval book history. Her research primarily focuses on the Middle Ages, particularly English literature from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. She explores the tradition of poetic social criticism, especially through the lens of William Langland's Piers Plowman. Breen's book, 'Imagining English Reading Public, 1150-1400', discusses how the translation reading habits at the heart of late medieval vernacular writing shape reader responses. In 'Machines Mind: Personification in Medieval Literature', published in 2021, Breen argues that medieval personifications function as crucial instruments in articulating complex ideas and navigating moral and political paradigms. She co-edits the journal 'Yearbook Langland Studies' and her recent scholarly contributions include explorations of Lollardy, personification, and other themes within medieval literature. Breen's research interests encompass Middle English literature, Latin and vernacular medieval literatures, and the history of the English language, with a special focus on the intersection of literature and ethics, pedagogy, and translation.

Research Interests