Carr-Thomas-Ovenden Visiting Fellowship in English Literature
Scholars who will use the Bodleian’s special collections of literary papers and publications are invited to apply for a Fellowship of 10 weeks in duration (one University of Oxford term). Preference will be given to proposals for research relating to the Romantic period, where the Bodleian’s collection of manuscripts, printed books and secondary literature is remarkable in its strength and depth. The awards are intended for scholars who hold a doctorate at the time of application or have attained equivalent experience in employment in higher education or research (e.g., holding a curatorial post in a museum or library).
In the late 17th century, the Bodleian began to increase its holdings of English literary manuscripts significantly. It is now a collection of international importance, vital for the study of English literature. The collections as a whole form one of the most significant research resources for scholars across the globe, and contain a significant proportion of the world’s cultural heritage.
The collections relating to Percy Bysshe Shelley and his circle rank among the finest in the Bodleian. As well as Shelley’s own papers, the Library houses manuscripts relating to Mary Shelley and her family, and the papers of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. These collections include an established selection of manuscripts and printed books founded by the gifts of Lady Shelley in 1893-94 and extended by further purchases and donations; the Abinger papers, the residue of the family collection of Sir Percy Florence Shelley and Lady Shelley at Boscombe, purchased outright in 2004-05 with the generous support of the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation; and the Lovelace-Byron collection of Byron family papers (deposited at the Bodleian on long-term loan), relating to the poet and his daughter Ada. In addition, the cultural precursors of Romanticism are well-represented through antiquaries’ papers, such as John Aubrey, Elias Ashmole and William Stukeley, and the correspondence and literary papers of William Gilpin.
Along with the other Bodleian Visiting Fellowships (http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowships), the call for applications for the Carr-Thomas-Ovenden Visiting Fellowship 2018-19 will open in mid-October 2017, with a closing deadline at the end of November 2017. A stipend of £4000 is made available for expenses of the visit which must coincide substantially with one University of Oxford term.
The Terms for all Fellowships and details on How to Apply can be found at: http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowships/how-to-apply.
If you have any queries about this Visiting Fellowship – or any of the Bodleian Visiting Fellowships – please email Dr Alexandra Franklin at fellowships@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.