Faculty of English

The Centre for Material Texts coordinates teaching and research into written artefacts across the University. Breaching familiar boundaries of discipline and period, the CMT facilitates new dialogues and innovative research, grounded in our shared fascination with the sources, media, and archives that we study.

‘When we read a book from the past we are in fact reading a book and a context, but in reading a book from the present we are the context.’ – Tony Tanner. Contemporaries is a space to explore the opportunities, challenges and pleasures presented by ‘being the context’ of new writing.

The Centre seeks to develop new and original research into the practices of poetry. Cambridge has been a centre for the art of poetry, criticism of poetry and poetics for centuries and this centre seeks to offer a new focus to the many ongoing forms of theory and practice active in Cambridge.

The Medieval Studies Research Group coordinates medieval-related activities in Cambridge, in relation not only to literature but also to medieval art, archaeology, philosophy, history and more.

Emmanuel MS 121; © The Master and Fellows of Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Plant Life is the Research Theme for the Faculty of English in 2021.

This Research Group site contains information on Renaissance and early modern research in the University, members interested in the period, and seminars, lectures, projects, reading groups and events happening in Cambridge and elsewhere.