Research project

Women writers and the romantic-period novel in Britain and France

Project overview

Leverhulme Research Fellowship

How did translations of women’s writing shape the novel? This comparative project helps us rethink its story by examining the commissioning, marketing and reception of British and French fiction from 1780-1830. Moving beyond case studies of canonical authors and texts, the proposed book centres on the female-authored fiction and translations that proliferated on publishers’ lists in the period. Drawing on unexplored archival material in both countries, it uncovers the publishing practices specific to a revolutionary moment. Once complete, its insights from both sides of the Channel will transform our understanding of fiction from the Romantic period. Research was carried out at the Berg, NYPL; the National Library of Scotland, and the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris

Staff

Lead researchers

Dr Gillian Dow

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Research interests Eighteenth-century literature and culture
  • Translation and reception history
  • The cross-channel migration of ideas in the period 1780-1830. 
Connect with Gillian

Research outputs

Gillian Dow, Janine Barchas, Joe Bray & Hannah Moss, 2024
Type: bookChapter
Gillian Dow, 2023
Type: bookChapter