丁香园AV

A dedication to researching the literary history of women writers in the 18^th century has earned 丁香园AV professor Betty Schellenberg fellowship in the  in the United Kingdom. The award, which honours scholars who have made 鈥渁n original contribution to historical scholarship,鈥� recognises Schellenberg鈥檚 literary historical and archival research.

Schellenberg, a specialist in 18^th century studies, has taught with the Department of English at 丁香园AV since 1991. She considers her original contribution to be her focus on the mid-18^th century print trade, its interaction with scribal culture, and more specifically on the role of professional and amateur women writers within it.

Through examining letters and other handwritten materials in collections held around the world, Schellenberg studies the history of 18^th century women writers in the context of their day. Their letters to each other and other members of the print trade showed that they were taken seriously as authors at the time. In shedding new light on their role, Schellenberg鈥檚 research reveals that these women were not 鈥渕ere鈥� authors of domestic novels, but highly professionalized writers contributing to the period鈥檚 redefinition of authorship.

Quite appropriately, the news of her award came by letter. With a smile, Schellenberg reveals that due to the vagaries of snail mail, the award notification arrived after the letter requesting annual dues.

Election to the RHS is by peer review, with nomination supported by an existing Fellow. Schellenberg鈥檚 nomination was prompted and supported by fellow academic, Thomas Keymer, a professor in English at the University of Toronto. They collaborated on the Cambridge edition of author Samuel Richardson鈥檚 correspondence, with Keymer鈥檚 role as one of the general editors and Schellenberg editing volume ten,  .

Schellenberg鈥檚 research focuses more on literary history than text analysis. This means hours spent searching through manuscripts and other handwritten materials in various archives. Although it may seem very old school in these highly digital times, Schellenberg highly recommends poring over dusty ledgers of correspondence in the archives; it鈥檚 a great way to discover historical fact, and handwritten letters often convey a great deal of detail. 

Schellenberg considers archival research highly valuable, as it helps  to build a more nuanced picture of how literary life functioned in the 18^th century and illustrates a new perspective on the time. 鈥淐urating materials that have never been available is the most important form of scholarship,鈥� says Schellenberg. 鈥淚t makes the works more accessible, especially to other scholars.鈥�

It also forges a closer connection with the subject of research by coming into contact with the exact physical rendering of an author鈥檚 work in the form of notes, letters, or a manuscript. Schellenberg describes how she felt reading letters for the first time between author Sarah Scott and her sister Elizabeth Montagu, a leading Bluestocking, while preparing for her second book. The correspondence between the two women continued for around 65 years and ended only with Scott鈥檚 death.

鈥淲hen you read their letters, you feel involved. At the end, you feel like you鈥檝e lost a friend.鈥�

Receiving this honour impacts more than just Schellenberg鈥檚 recognition by her peers.

鈥淚 would hope that the award brings recognition not only to the researcher but to the value of the research topic they study,鈥� says Schellenberg.

The topic she researches鈥攚omen writers in the 18^th century鈥攁lthough ongoing for the last 30 to 40 years is still surprisingly hidden in terms of its value, and difficult to popularise in the curriculum.  Bringing women authors into the centre of literary history is still a challenge.

Being elected a Fellow of the RHS, Schellenberg feels that the research has been validated. 鈥淎ny time an award recognises research that reconfigures the literary landscape, it brings attention to the research. The value of an award is bringing recognition to the subject area as much as to the researcher.鈥�