Dr. Matthew Fisher

Biography

Matthew Fisher is Associate Professor in the Department of English at UCLA. He teaches courses on medieval literature and book history. Currently, he is working on a book about the Cotton Library fire, which traces the long history of medieval manuscripts in England, particularly in the context of the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the founding of the British Museum. His book, 'Scribal Authorship: Writing History in Medieval England' (2012), reconceptualizes medieval writing through the work of medieval scribes. By using evidence from the history of writing in medieval England, the book challenges the traditional division between scribe and author. Fisher explores the peculiarities of authority and intertextuality within unique medieval historiography, revealing the rich ambiguities in the ways that medieval scribes 'write' books. This research frames the composition, transmission, reception, and even authorship of medieval texts as phenomena influenced by scribal practices. He is also the editor of the journal Viator and has published numerous scholarly articles and edited volumes in the field of medieval studies.

Research Interests

Experience