King College London: Two fully-funded PhD places: Latin verse in English manuscript verse miscellanies, c. 1550-1700

Two funded PhD studentships are available at King’s College London to work on the project ‘Latin verse in English manuscript verse miscellanies, c. 1550-1700’, funded by a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant. Students from any relevant disciplinary background may apply (e.g. classics, English literature, comparative literature, early modern history) though excellent Latin is essential, and all candidates should have a record of academic excellence within their field. Relevant knowledge or experience in one or more of the following areas is an advantage, but not essential: neo-Latin literature (especially poetry); Latin epigram, lyric or elegy; early modern English history; early modern English literature (especially poetry); early modern manuscript transcription and editing; XML/TEI. Training in the use of relevant software and in early modern palaeography and transcription will be provided as part of the programme, and students will have the opportunity to join a taught MA course on neo-Latin poetry in their first term. The selected students will share office space at KCL with a larger research team, consisting of the director of the project (Dr Victoria Moul) and two post-doctoral researchers.

The project will involve an intial phase of technical training and orientation, followed by around twelve months focused on the transcription and translation of unstudied neo-Latin verse from manuscript sources. The latter 18-24 months will be devoted to the analysis of transcribed material and the writing of a thesis. Selected students will be free to develop their own doctoral project within the larger remit of the project: such projects could have, for instance, a generic, thematic or historical focus – e.g. focusing in particular on lyric or elegiac poems; on poems on a particular historical event (such as the Armada or execution of Charles I); on the manuscript transcription of poems by a particular author (such as Theodore de Bèze or John Owen) or on a specific literary relationship, such as the imitation of a particular classical poet. Dr Victoria Moul, is an experienced PhD supervisor and the students will join a thriving community of six PhD and post-doctoral researchers in the field at King’s, offering a unique research environment within the UK.

The anticipated start date is September 2017, though January 2018 is also possible. Funding includes UK/EU fees of £4,600 per annum plus a maintenance stipend of £15,863 per annum over three years.

Applicants should send a CV and transcript with a cover letter explaining their interest in and suitability for the project by 5pm on Monday 15 May, 2017 directly to Dr Moul (victoria.moul@kcl.ac.uk). They should arrange for two referees to send their references directly to Dr Moul by the same date. Interviews of short-listed candidates will be held at KCL (Strand campus) on Thursday 1 June, 2017. Successful candidates should if at all possible be available to attend the London Palaeography Summer School, involving 2 or 3 days of classes between 12th and 16th June. Should you have any questions about these studentships, please feel free to write to Dr Moul (victoria.moul@kcl.ac.uk) directly.