Rachel A. Fletcher

@rafletcher.bsky.social

1306 Followers 285 Following

Leiden University. Working on the reception of Old English in 19th-century Europe. Dictionary enthusiast.

Call for Contributions Dynamics of Old English Scholarship in the Long Nineteenth Century: Discoveries, Disputes and the Development of a Discipline ed. Rachel A. Fletcher, Ellen Gallimore & Thijs Porck The long nineteenth century (1786–1914) was a dynamic and transformative period for the scholarly study of Old English. The legacies of nineteenth-century scholarship remain deeply embedded in the study of Old English today. As a result, contemporary scholars must engage not only with early medieval language and literature itself, but also with the intellectual and ideological lenses through which nineteenth-century scholars recovered, edited and interpreted this material. We hope to bring together a peer-reviewed edited volume with papers on various aspects of the scholarly study of Old English in the long nineteenth century, with an additional focus on European continental contributions in line with the ERC-project EMERGENCE (‘Early Medieval English in NineteenthCentury Europe’). Proposals for chapter contributions of c. 8000 words are welcome from scholars from all academic backgrounds. First drafts full drafts are due at the end of September 2027. Possible topics/themes include but are not limited to: - Discoveries of Old English texts - Disputes about linguistic or literary interpretations of Old English - Developments in the discipline of Old English studies - Personal, religious, political and ideological motivations for the study of Old English - Biographical contributions about scholars of Old English - Scholarly correspondence on Old English matters - Editing and printing of Old English texts - Teaching of Old English Please send an abstract (500 words) and short bio (150 words) to Rachel A. Fletcher (r.a.fletcher@hum.leidenuniv.nl), Ellen Gallimore (ellen.gallimore@york.ac.uk) and Thijs Porck (m.h.porck@hum.leidenuniv.nl) before 1 September 2026.
Joseph Bosworth & Old English Studies: Then, Now and the Future (21 May 2026, 16:00-19:00 CEST / 10:00-13:00 EDT) An online academic memorial event reflecting on the continuing impact of Joseph Bosworth († 27 May 1876) and his Old English dictionary on the field of Old English Studies. The programme will consist of a series of 20-minute papers and a roundtable. Confirmed speakers include: • Dabney Bankert (James Madison University) • Rachel A. Fletcher (Leiden University) • Thijs Porck (Leiden University) • Christine Rauer (University of St Andrews) • Ondřej Tichý (Charles University, Prague) • Madeleine Thompson (Anthropic, author of the Bosworth-Toller smartphone app) For more information (or joining the roundtable) you can contact the organisers by sending an e-mail to Rachel A. Fletcher (r.a.fletcher@hum.leidenuniv.nl ). Attendance is free, but please let us know you are coming by filling out this registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScj3hMvrYe6vVzQlTWsFyNmgQ44jWkTUyL8ZDlxnF6E6btZJg/viewform Organisers: Rachel A. Fletcher, Thijs Porck, Christine Rauer and Ondřej Tichý This event is is part of a project that has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program (EMERGENCE, Grant agreement No.101115867, https://doi.org/10.3030/101115867 ). Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
The packaging for a "Surprise Makiki Doll with keychain". In defiance of the bouba-kiki effect, the Makiki has large round eyes and rounded features.
An artwork made from backlit cut paper, with a bright background and dark foreground. On the left of the image, lexicographers are working in a room full of books; on the right is a landscape with trees.
The interior of a 17th-century library featuring a wooden book wheel, consisting of four revolving shelves.
A glass-fronted wooden cabinet containing a doll's-house-sized library.
A view of the sea in evening light, photographed from the top of a sand dune.
An egg-holder shaped like a group of six monks with cartoonish expressions. The top of each monk figure has an indentation to hold an egg, so that the egg forms the prominent bald head of the monk above his tonsure.
The front cover of a book, titled "Philology in Turbulent Times: Joseph Bosworth, His Dictionary, and the Recovery of Old English", by Dabney A. Bankert.
Two trays of small medlars, round brown fruits with a large open calyx.