Dr Emily Hauser

My research centres on the intersection between gender and poetics in the ancient world (particularly ancient Greek poetry) and its contemporary reception. Broadly speaking, there are three major strands to my work:

Authorship and gender in antiquity: My current research focuses on figurations of authorship in Greek poetry, particularly as they relate to gender. I'm fascinated by the self-portrayal of female authors like Sappho within the constraints of a gendered language, and how that language was both policed and problematised by male and female authors alike. I have published two articles based on this research. These form the basis for my current book, Authoress: Gendering Poets in Ancient Greece (forthcoming with Princeton University Press).

Women in Homeric epic: I am particularly interested in the relationship between women in Homeric epic and literary tropes, attempting to unpack the interconnection between women and poetry in Homer. I have worked on Penelope and the teleology of the Odyssey (an article on this topic was published in Helios in 2020), and (together with Lilah Grace Canevaro) co-organised a workshop in April 2018, entitled ‘New Approaches to Gender in Ancient Literature’. I also have a book under contract with Liverpool University Press on Women in Homer, which will be aimed at undergraduates interested in looking further into Homer's women and their reception.

Classical reception in contemporary women’s writing: Although I am interested in many areas of classical reception, my main interest is in the reception of female figures from classical literature by contemporary women writers. I look at women’s writing from 1970 on, studying authors and poets from Margaret Atwood to Adrienne Rich, Ursula Le Guin, Louise Glück, Rita Dove and Carol Ann Duffy. A recent article in TAPA (2019) looks at the relationship between Classics and creativity, with a particular focus on women's writing.

I am also an author of historical fiction, and have published three historical novels reworking the women of classical myth with Penguin Random House: For the Most Beautiful, For the Winner and For the Immortal. I am particularly passionate about outreach and have given talks at school and university Classics across the UK, and my work has been covered in the Times and Guardian, with appearances on local and national BBC Radio.

You can find out more about my research and writing on my website, www.emilyhauser.com.

Biography:

Brought up in Suffolk, I studied Classics at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (BA 2009). I then visited Harvard University for a year on a Fulbright scholarship, and went on to Yale University for a Ph.D. in Classics, which I received in 2017. After receiving my Ph.D., I returned to Harvard as a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows (2017–18); I joined the University of Exeter as a Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History in July 2018.

My interests also include fiction writing and classical outreach, which has led to the publication of three novels reworking the myths of the women of ancient Greece with Penguin Random House: For the Most Beautiful (2016), For the Winner (2017), and For the Immortal (2018).

Research supervision:

I am open to discussing research proposals on any relevant subject within my research expertise. I am especially happy to consider working with candidates with interests in the following areas: Homeric epic; early Greek poetry, particularly Sappho; women's writing in the ancient world; contemporary women's writing; classical reception; Classics and creativity.