This project is no longer listed on FindAPhD.com and may not be available.

Click here to search FindAPhD.com for PhD studentship opportunities

Dr P Semper Applications accepted all year round Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

Birmingham United Kingdom

About the Project

I am interested in supervising students working in any area of Old English literature or on Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. My work focuses upon the various reading strategies required by differing forms of text and visual exposition, and the implications of such strategies for both the production and the use of manuscripts. This includes analysis of methods of reading (and re-reading) runes, the nature of Old English poetry in its manuscript context, the ideological functions of diagrams in computistical works, and the devotional aspects of diagrams in biblical manuscripts. I also work on the reworkings of Old English texts in modern fantasy writing.

Funding applied for covers Home Fees (EU and UK) and maintenance for 3 years full time study. The scholarships generally cover tuition fees and a maintenance grant, and are subject to AHRC criteria.

Deadline for Applications
The competition for funding will close at 4pm on Friday 27 January 2012.

Candidates who apply to this competition will be informed of the outcome of their application in April 2012.

Funding Notes

Our applications for Arts and Humanities Research Council Funding are now open. We are able to offer 13 doctoral studentships for study in Arts and Humanities. If you wish to apply for AHRC funding, the application is embedded into the University of Birmingham’s online application. You should complete this form in full, before the deadline of Monday 28 January 2013 at 4pm.
For more information please visit our webpage: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/ahrc

Open Days

June

2026

University of Birmingham

Postgraduate Open Day

Birmingham (United Kingdom)

View event

How good is research at University of Birmingham in English Language and Literature?

Research output data provided by the Research Excellence Framework (REF)

Click here to see the results for all UK universities

Where will I study?

University of Birmingham

For more than a century, the University of Birmingham has been pursuing and sharing knowledge through outstanding teaching and research. As a founding Russell Group member and the original ‘redbrick’ university, our high-quality teaching will help you take your career to the next level. We are of the country’s most consistently sought-after universities by the UK’s top graduate employers, and have been for the last decade. With a wealth of opportunities to choose from across study and research, Birmingham has one of the most extensive postgraduate course portfolios in the UK. Hosting an international community of more than 8000 staff and 38,000 students, you’ll work alongside world-leading academics in a diverse community.

Career overview

Dr Philippa Semper holds a BA Hons in English Medieval Studies and a PhD in Medieval English, both from the University of Exeter. She also obtained a PGCE in Higher Education from the University of Greenwich. After completing her PhD, Dr Semper tutored in Medieval English at the University of Exeter before teaching at University College Dublin for several years. She later returned to the UK to join the English Department at the University of Birmingham, where she currently serves as a Senior Lecturer in English. Dr Semper''s research interests focus on Old English language and literature, particularly the interaction between text and image in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. Her work is interdisciplinary, examining the relationships between text and image in medieval manuscripts, with a particular emphasis on medieval diagrams. Additionally, she explores modern fantasy literature and its connections to medieval texts, with a strong focus on the works of authors such as Lord Dunsany and Neil Gaiman. Dr Semper is actively involved in postgraduate supervision, guiding students in areas related to Old English literature and fantasy literature.

Research interests

Dr Semper''s research centres on Old English language and literature, particularly the interaction between text and image in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. She is interested in the interdisciplinary nature of these studies, focusing on medieval diagrams and the various reading strategies required by different forms of visual exposition. Her current work includes a book addressing these issues. Additionally, Dr Semper explores modern fantasy literature, including its medievalism and modern Arthurian fantasy, with a strong focus on the works of Lord Dunsany and Neil Gaiman. She supervises postgraduate students in areas such as Old English literature, Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, and fantasy literature, welcoming enquiries for research on Old English prose, text-image relationships, and modern fantasy literature.

Old English Literature Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts Text-Image Relationships Medieval Diagrams Modern Fantasy Literature Medievalism Fantasy and Fandom Medieval Studies Prose of Secular Learning Poetry Containing Runes Reading Strategies Lord Dunsany Neil Gaiman Kevin Crossley Holland Beowulf Anglo-Saxon Poetry Gender and Medieval Studies E-Learning Medieval Languages and Literature.

View Dr Philippa Semper's profile

The texts, images, manuscripts and literary legacy of the Anglo-Saxons

University of Birmingham School of English, Drama and Creative Studies

This project is no longer listed on FindAPhD.com and may not be available.

About the Project