Being a student at Oxford affords opportunities to learn, but also to develop critical acumen and skills which will last a lifetime. A doctorate in French literature might not seem the most obvious route to working for Netflix but as Dr Anna Koch explains, in an interview she gave to current undergraduate Ellee Su, not only did she enjoy her doctoral studies here, she also feels that a degree in languages opened many doors. Another interview by two graduates, Atticus Mawby and Rhys Collins, allowed them to ask searching questions of a leading Ukrainian author Oleksandr Mykhed, currently a virtual writer-in-residence within the Faculty. Commemorating German students who were executed for defying Hitler, Dr Alexandra Lloyd and the group she leads around the ‘White Rose Project’ organised a recent anniversary concert which illustrates one of the ways in which research and teaching come together. An assignment for a graduate essay led Tess Eastgate to work on a manuscript in the Bodleian library. Her discoveries led to the catalogue entry being rewritten and she was awarded the Gordon Duff prize. Another student who was recently recognised for her research is Eleanor Lischka and she told us a little about her work. Recent publications by Faculty members illustrate a wide range of interests. In this issue we are shining a light on three books which raise awareness of understudied nineteenth-century figures. Dr Joanna Raisbeck sets out the philosophical grounding of Caroline von Günderrode’s writings. Professor Seth Whidden is at the forefront of a project to republish the works of Julie Krysinska, whose radical metric innovations have too often been credited to men. Professor Ted Nye has gone in search of a familiar face, that of ‘Pierrot’, and the man who made it famous, mime artist Deburau.
We all hope you enjoy reading this issue.
Best wishes,
Professor Jonathan Thacker
Chair of the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages