The School of English at the University of Nottingham runs a wide range of undergraduate courses in Old English, Middle English, Older Scots, Old Norse and Viking Studies, and Place-Names http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/. A number of students go on to join our MA and PhD programmes to develop their interests further. An indicator of the interest and enthusiasm of current students in the area is that we run regular, well attended, optional Old English (undergraduate and postgraduate) and Old Norse reading groups; another group for medievalists is the ‘Latin over lunch’ group—all informal groups aiming to develop reading proficiency in the target languages.
The MA in Viking and Anglo-Saxon Studies (MAVASS) http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/courses/english/viking-and-anglo-saxon-studies-ma.aspx has particular strengths in Old English and Old Norse language and literature, the Viking World, Runology and Place-Names. Our expertise-led teaching is supported by practical work on field trips.
Every year this MA recruits an outstanding international cohort of students, which builds a vibrant and engaged scholarly community. We also offer students the chance to present their knowledge in local schools, where we hope to encourage the next generations of medievalists among the children http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/csva/public-engagement/vikings-for-schools.aspx.
PhD research and staff expertise:
Among ground-breaking research projects pursued by PhD students in the School are: work on metaphors of disease; manuscript runes and rune sticks; cognitive and literary linguistic approaches to Old English poetry and prose; place-names; sagas and material culture.
Staff are engaged in collaborative projects and exhibitions in the Institute for Name-Studies:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/ins/index.aspx and the Centre for the Study of the Viking Age http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/csva/. The international peer-reviewed journals, Nottingham Medieval Studies http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/medieval/resources/nottingham-medieval-studies.aspx and Journal of the English Place-Name Society http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/epns/journal.aspx are edited by Nottingham medievalists.
Late medieval research contributes significantly to the School’s strengths in text-editing and book history, including courses which contribute to MAVASS and other MA programmes. Older Scots is also a distinctive research strand, including two members of staff who are executive members of Council of the Scottish Text Society http://www.scottishtextsociety.org/. Further research interests include canonical writers such as Langland, Gower and Chaucer, and the reception and transmission of late medieval material in early modern literary circles.
We welcome enquiries concerning research and teaching in any of the areas mentioned above. Contact:
Prof Jesch Judith, Director of CSVA (runes, Old Norse):
judith.jesch@nottingham.ac.uk
Dr Jayne Carroll, Director of Institute for Name-Studies (names, Old English): jayne.carroll@nottingham.ac.uk
Dr Joanna Martin, Editor of Nottingham Medieval Studies (MIddle English, Older Scots): joanna.martin@nottingham.ac.uk
Dr Paul Cavill, Editor of Journal of the English Place-Name Society (Old English, names): paul.cavill@nottingham.ac.uk
Dr John Baker, Convenor of MAVASS (names):
john.baker@nottingham.ac.uk
Dr Christian Lee, Director of Internationalisation (Old Norse, Old English): christina.lee@nottingham.ac.uk
Dr Mike Rodman Jones, Director of Teaching (Middle and Early Modern English): mike.jones@nottingham.ac.uk
Dr Nicola Royan (MIddle English, Older Scots):
nicola.royan@nottingham.ac.uk
Dr Martin Findell (runes, historical linguistics):
martin.findell@nottingham.ac.uk
