Dr. Nicholas Perkins

Biography

Nicholas Perkins is a Tutorial Fellow at St Hugh's College, specializing in Medieval Literature. His research interests focus on the late-medieval period, especially English poetry and its audiences, as well as the circulation and ownership of manuscripts. He examines the works of poets and bureaucrats, particularly Thomas Hoccleve and his contemporaries such as John Lydgate and Geoffrey Chaucer. Perkins investigates medieval romance, exploring the objects and narratives that circulated during this period, particularly the role of gift-giving and material engagements. His notable works include an investigation concerning the subject of the book gift narrative in medieval England, supported by a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship, and an edited volume of essays titled 'Medieval Romance Material Culture' (2015). In 2023, he curated a major exhibition, 'Gifts Books,' at the Bodleian Library, showcasing items that span over four thousand years globally. His interests also extend to biblical allusion in medieval literature and modern encounters with medieval culture. At the undergraduate level, he teaches language and literature from the beginnings of English around 1550 and various aspects of language study, criticism, and theory. He also supervises postgraduate research in areas linked to his interests, such as late-medieval manuscripts and identities in post-Conquest Britain. In recognition of his teaching excellence, he received the University’s Teaching Excellence Awards in 2012.

Research Interests

Experience