Professor Raluca Radulescu

Professor of Medieval Literature / Director of Research, Impact and Engagement

r.radulescu@bangor.ac.uk

0000-0003-3100-9625

Professor Raluca Radulescu

View Professor Raluca Radulescu’s profile on the Bangor Research Portal

Director of the Centre for Arthurian Studies in the College of Arts, Humanities and Business and newly elected President of the International Arthurian Society(2024-2027), a scholarly society with more than 1000 members world-wide.

In 2021 I was Deputy Head (operational) of the School of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics and subject lead for English literature, and from 2018-21 I was Deputy Head of the same School and Director of Research, and REF 2021 UoA27 coordinator. 

Among other leadership roles I have held recently, I was Co-director of IMEMS (Institute for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, University of Bangor and University of Aberystwyth) for 5 years (2013-18) and founding director of the Centre for Medieval Studies (2005-13). I am also founding director of the cross-school MA in Medieval Studies and of the MA in Arthurian Literature.

I am a Fellow of the English Association, of the Royal Historical Society and of the Learned Society of Wales, and serve on the General Purposes, as well as the Early Career researcher development, committees of the latter.

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2017 I was awarded a Bangor Teaching Excellence Fellowship.

FLSW, FEA, FRHistS, SFHEA

Email: r.radulescu@bangor.ac.uk

Phone: 01248382110

Location: 314 New Arts

I teach medieval literature (the first year module QXE1003 Heroes and Villains: Introduction to Pre-modern Literature; QXE2101 /QXE3118 Exploring Medieval Literature; and specialist modules QXE3034 Legends and Super Heroes; QXE2094/3094 Realms of Magic: Medieval Romance and its Afterlives - the latter on the development of modern fantasy from the medieval genre of romance), literary and critical theory, the history of the book, palaeography (which I reintroduced in the curriculum at Bangor University from 2005), medieval romance, Arthurian legend (medieval to present), travel literature (classical to present), children's literature and modern fantasy. I am interested, also, in translation and adaptation, particularly in modern fantasy into film, including Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

In July 2017 I was awarded a Bangor Teaching Excellence Fellowship. I am also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I have supervised 7 research students to completion:

Elina Harjula, MPhil, 'Horses in Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur' (MPhil, 2010)

Ambra Finotello, PhD, 'Transformations of the Merlin Legend in Late-Medieval England: Contextualizing Translation in Of Arthour and of Merlin, Henry Lovelich’s Merlin, and the Prose Merlin' (PhD, 2014)

Anastasija Ropa, PhD, 'Representations of the Grail in Medieval and Modern Literature' (PhD, 2014)

Daisy Le Helloco, PhD  ‘Sense of Place and the Writing of Early Modern British History in Medieval and Early Modern England’ (PhD, 2018)

Isra'a Alqallab, 'The History of Emotions and Medieval Romance: King Horn, Guy of Warwick, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' (PhD, 2019)

Ashley Walchester-Bailes, 'Editing Malory in the Modern Period: from Winchester MS to Vinaver's edition' (2023)

Audrey Martin, 'Heroes and Anti-Heroes in Geoffrey of Monmouth and his continuators' (2023)

I am currently supervising 2 PhD students:

Aude Martin (co-supervision with Université of Lorraine), 'Medieval English and French Arthurian romance - the development of character' (writing up year)

Katja Marek, 'Medieval English romance in its miscellany context' (title subject to change) - recipient of the Vice-Chancellor's scholarship (Bangor University) and the Barron Bequest award (International Arthurian Society, British Branch)

I have been external examiner of 14 PhD theses across UK, Ireland, Europe and Australia. I have also advised /supervised a number of post-doctoral projects and visiting research fellows to the Centre for Arthurian Studies.

I welcome postgraduate projects linked to any of my areas of research interest.

My research focuses on late medieval literature and culture, more specifically Arthurian and non-Arthurian romances (Thomas Malory and popular romances), medieval chronicles (the Brut tradition and genealogical rolls), political culture and gentry studies. Overall my approach is informed by book history and cultural history - in particular the identification of trends, be they related to the emergence of a group's or individual's identity, political propaganda, or other. In recent years I started working on two other related projects, one engaging with the cultural importance of the medieval miscellany as a repository of literary and non-literary texts, the other focusing on medieval identity as expressed in visual representations (starting with heraldry but extending into art forms).

My research covers English, French and other continental romance languages and traditions, reflecting my trilingual background (Romanian, French, English) and other languages I have different levels of proficiency in (Italian, Spanish, Russian) or use in academic research and/or literary translation (Latin, Old French, Old English). 

I have been involved in, and continue to undertake, literary translation projects. My latest is a translation of the ninth-century Irish poem Pangur Bán, into Romanian, for the Trinity College Dublin Centre for Literary Translation (a collaborative project published in 2017).

I continue to write and edit poetry in English, Romanian and French.

I am happy to supervise research projects on late medieval literature and culture, in particular medieval romance, gentry culture, historical chronicles and political propaganda, the manuscript miscellany. Other, complementary interests are medievalism and the history of the book (editions of medieval texts in later periods of time; ownership of medieval codices in other eras; editing texts out of their manuscript contexts; the history of editions of medieval texts).

2024

  • Accepted/In pressArthur in the Prose Brut
    Radulescu, R. & Marvin, J., 13 Feb 2024, (Accepted/In press) Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture. Radulescu, R. & Lynch, A. (eds.). 1 ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Vol. 1. (Cambridge History Series).
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • Accepted/In pressArthurianism in medieval society and politics
    Radulescu, R., 13 Feb 2024, (Accepted/In press) Cambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture . Radulescu, R. & Lynch, A. (eds.). 2024 1st ed. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, (Cambridge Histories).
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • Accepted/In pressCambridge History of Arthurian Literature and Culture
    Radulescu, R., 13 Feb 2024, (Accepted/In press) Cambridge University Press. 1000 p.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
  • Accepted/In pressWhat We Leave Behind: Legacy in Malory's Characterisation of Guenevere and Lancelot
    Radulescu, R., 18 Nov 2024, (Accepted/In press) Medieval and Arthurian Studies in memory of Fiona Tolhurst. Whetter, K. & Armstrong, D. (eds.). Cambridge: Boydell & Brewer
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2023

  • PublishedBoy and Mantle
    Radulescu, R., 1 Nov 2023, The Arthurian Poems of the Percy Folio Manuscript. Withrington, J. & Rogers, G. (eds.). Liverpool University Press, p. 247-258
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • PublishedRoutledge Companion to Medieval English Literature
    Radulescu, R. (Editor) & Rikhardsdottir, S. (Editor), 3 Jan 2023, First ed. Routledge. 500 p.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
  • PublishedSir Lancelott of DuLake: Percy Folio editions
    Radulescu, R., 1 Nov 2023, The Arthurian Poems of the Percy Folio Manuscript: . Withrington, J. & Rogers, G. (eds.). Liverpool University Press, p. 71-77
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • PublishedTrue Repentance? Gawain's Performance of Emotion in Malory's Sankgreal
    Radulescu, R., 10 May 2023, In: Arthuriana. 33, 1, p. 19-31 14 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2022

  • PublishedThomas Malory
    Radulescu, R., 30 Dec 2022, Routledge Companion to Medieval English Literature. Radulescu, R. & Rikhardsdottir, S. (eds.). Routledge, (Routledge Companions to Literature).
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2021

  • PublishedEmotions and War in Chaucer's 'Knight's Tale'
    Radulescu, R., Mar 2021, Literature, Emotions, and Pre-Modern War: Conflict in Medieval and Early Modern Culture. Lynch, C. & Scott, A. (eds.). ARC Humanities Press, p. 45-63 18 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2020

2019

2018

2017

  • PublishedSir Percyvell of Galles: a Quest for Values
    Radulescu, R., 26 Jun 2017, Handbook of Arthurian Romance: King Arthur's Court in Medieval European Literature. Tether, L. & McFadyen, J. (eds.). 1st ed. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, p. 389-402 13 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2015

2014

2013

2011

2010

2009

  • PublishedA Companion to Medieval Popular Romance
    Radulescu, R. L. (Editor) & Rushton, C. J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2009, 2009 ed. D.S. Brewer.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book
  • PublishedBroken Lines: Genealogical Literature in Medieval Britain and France
    Radulescu, R. L. (Editor) & Kennedy, E. D. (Editor), 1 Jan 2009, 2009 ed. Brepols Publishers.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book
  • PublishedGenre and Classification.
    Radulescu, R. L., Radulescu, R. L. (Editor) & Rushton, C. J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2009, A Companion to Medieval Popular Romance. 2009 ed. D.S. Brewer, p. 31-48
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedMalory and the quest for the Holy Grail
    Radulescu, R. L. & Fulton, H. (Editor), 1 Jan 2009, Companion to Arthurian Literature. 2009 ed. Wiley-Blackwell, p. 326-339
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2008

  • PublishedMalory's Lancelot and the Key to Salvation
    Radulescu, R. L., Archibald, E. (Editor) & Johnson, D. F. (Editor), 1 Jan 2008, Arthurian Literature 25. 2008 ed. Boydell & Brewer, p. 93-118
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2006

2005

  • PublishedGentry Culture in Late Medieval England.
    Radulescu, R. L. (Editor) & Truelove, A. (Editor), 1 Jan 2005, 2005 ed. Manchester University Press.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book
  • PublishedLiterature
    Radulescu, R. L., Radulescu, R. L. (Editor) & Truelove, A. (Editor), 1 Jan 2005, Gentry Culture in Late Medieval England. 2005 ed. Manchester University Press, p. 100-118
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedRe-viewing Le Morte Darthur: Texts and Contexts, Characters and Themes.
    Whetter, K. S. (Editor) & Radulescu, R. L. (Editor), 1 Jan 2005, 2005 ed. D.S. Brewer.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book
  • Published“Oute of measure”: Violence and Knighthood in Malory’s Morte Darthur
    Radulescu, R. L., Whetter, K. S. (Editor) & Radulescu, R. L. (Editor), 1 Jan 2005, Re-viewing Le Morte Darthur: Texts and Contexts: Characters and Themes. 2005 ed. D.S. Brewer, p. 119-131
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2004

2003

2001

2027

  • International Brut Chronicle Conference

    I have been invited to organise the next international Brut chronicle conference in Bangor at the Centre for Arthurian Studies

    21 Jun 2027

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

  • 17th Early Book Society conference

    Organiser and host of the prestigious biennial international conference of the Early Book Society

    12 Jul 2021

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)
  • Brepols Publishers (Publisher)

    Member of the editorial board for the Early Book Society for the Study of Manuscripts and Early Books 'Texts and Transitions'

    Jun 2021 →

    Activity: Editorial activity (Editorial board member)

2019

2018

2017

  • Medieval Fun Day

    Medieval Fun Day

    An educational event was initiated and organised by myself with John Sherlock, custodian of Caernarfon castle (CADW), administrative support from the College of Arts and Humanities and Bangor University Library and Archive Services, which brought more than 500 primary school children and their teachers from the local schools into the castle to learn from academic research on manuscript books, storytelling, history, design, and performance /art.

    Underpinning research: My research into late medieval culture, and in particular the reading of manuscript books including Arthurian legends, and the making of such books informed the workshops I gave to the pupils and their teachers (in groups of 50); my publications on these topics informed my impact work and they were the very reason why John Sherlock contacted me to organise the event.

    Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries were primary school pupils aged 6-10 from the local schools and their teachers, but also staff at the castle and staff and postgraduate/undergraduate students from Bangor University who helped. The reach of this impact activity has gone beyond the numbers (500 pupils), as the letter attached shows: John talks about CADW Continuing Learning picking up the model and spreading it across Wales, and about a visible increase in visits to the castle by members of the local community who learned either first hand, from the participants, or from the local press.

    28 Jun 2017

    Links:

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)
  • Henry Barton, Henry Lovelich and the Patronage of Arthurian romance’ at ‘Henry Barton Heritage Day', Worshipful Company of Skinners

    23 Apr 2017

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)

2016

2015

  • King Arthur Family Day

    King Arthur family day

    A family educational event was organised by Bangor University Library and Archive Services, and the School of English Literature, through support from the Widening Participation fund and the College of Arts and Humanities.

    Learning about medieval manuscript production through demonstrations; learning about medieval life (cooking, writing, sword-fighting, medieval drama performance, and craft).

    Underpinning research: Research and publication in Arthurian studies and medieval manuscripts is key to Prof. Radulescu's profile, and she shared her expertise at an age appropriate level throughout this event, through talks and demonstrations.

    Beneficiaries: the community - families with children of all ages, students and staff

    27 Jun 2015

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)
  • John Cok and the Guildhall scribal circles

    25 Jun 2015

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • Public launch of Flintshire Harries Arthurian Collection

    A public lecture and a public exhibition were organised on the occasion of the donation of the internationally-known Flintshire Harries Arthurian Collection to Bangor University Library, facilitated by myself (was contacted directly by Simon Gotts, at the time responsible for the collection).

    Summary: Through the public lecture and exhibition, which was accompanied by guided tours for a few months, as well as high visibility in the national press (article in the Conversation, Times Higher, as well as locally in the Bangor press and Golwg), Bangor's excellence in research in Arthurian studies was disseminated.

    Underpinning research: Bangor's international research and teaching reputation in Arthurian studies, in particular in the areas of English, comparative literature and Welsh studies was the focus of this impact. In particular this impact continues the activities submitted in REF2014, with long-standing international excellence in the editions, monographs and other critical work produced by Prof. P.J.C.Field, and Prof.Raluca Radulescu.

    Beneficiaries: students, staff, general public - local and national; some international (via the Conversation article)

    25 Apr 2015

    Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition (Contributor)
  • The Politics of Emotion in Fifteenth-century England: the Case of Malory’s Morte Darthur

    invited lecture

    10 Feb 2015

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)

2011

I have recently been elected Vice President of the International Arthurian Society (2021-24). Prior to that service to the profession has included being elected President of the British Branch of the International Arthurian Society (2015-18) and elected founding Editor of the Journal of the International Arthurian Society for two terms (2011-17) and editor of the Annual Bibliography of the International Arthurian Society (2011-15).

I have been a member of the committee of the Association for Manuscripts and Archives in Research Collections (AMARC) for 15 years (2006-21), and an AHRC peer review college member for ten years (2007-2017). I sat on the AHRC panels for individual fellowships, Main grants and Leadership Fellows for several years, and I have been an assessor of HERA applications. 

I am external examiner of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and have examined more than 12 PhD theses as external examiner at several HEI institutions in the UK and abroad.

Impact

I am a regular consultant and contributor to radio and TV programmes in the UK and internationally on the Arthurian legend and medieval studies. I have written articles for The Conversation (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020), and given interviews for the local and national press.

Most recently, my consultancy with Royal Mail has resulted in a limited series of stamps on the topic of Arthurian legends, and an associated article in their Yearbook (2021).

Other invited lectures and media appearances include:

  • 2019 guest lectures at the University of Belgrade and several invited papers
  • 2018 guest lectures at University of Düsseldorf, University of Lisbon (as plenary speaker at conference), Flintshire Historical Association
  • 2017 guest speaker at Bradford International Literature festival 
  • 2017 public lecture at the Skinners' Guild, London
  • 2016 invited public lecture at the Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds
  • 2016 initiator and co-organiser of 'Medieval Fun Day' primary schools event in Caernarfon castle (CADW) 
  • 2015 initiator and co-organiser of 'King Arthur Family day' at Bangor University Library
  • 2015: interview with BBC radio Wales, on the 'Today programme' (13 April 2015)
  • 2015: interview with ABC Radio, Australian national broadcast, on the 'Overnight programme', on King Arthur and Arthurian legends
  • 2015: Curator of the public exhibition 'The Arthurian Legend: Past and Present in Conversation in the Bangor Rare Books Collection and the Flintshire Harries Arthurian Collection' (13 April- 7 May); guided tours
  • 2015: Co-organiser, with Bangor University Library, of the event 'Celebrating 50 years of Arthurian Studies at Bangor University', including a public lecture, given by guest Dr Roger Simpson
  • 2014: Initiator and member of the working party who facilitated the donation of the Flintshire Harries Arthurian Collection to Bangor University Library, in collaboration with Bangor University Library
  • 2013: Literary tour of North Wales (Arthurian romance) organised by Literature Wales and the Welsh Tourism Board
  • 2011: 'Sword in the Stone' documentary for the National Geographic TV Channel, in the series The Ancient X-Files
  • 2010 Invited on the ‘Authoring Arthur’ special event organised by the Royal Shakespeare Company in connection with the staging of Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte Darthur
  • 2009 BBC Radio consultant on the Tennyson programme and Arthurian myth
  • BBC radio consultancy on medieval pilgrimage, medieval romance

Peer Recognition

  • 2015 reviewer for HERA and AHRC panels
  • 2012- external examiner for UG and PG programmes in medieval and early modern literature at two universities (UK and abroad)
  • 2009 - external examiner for research theses in a number of UK HEI and abroad
  • 2011, 2012 invited to sit on the AHRC panels for Fellowships and Main Grants (Languages and Literatures)
  • 2002-10  elected member of the committee of the British Branch of the International Arthurian Society 
  • 2006-8 UK and Ireland Liaison Officer, CARMEN (Confederation for the Advancement of Research through a Medieval European Network)
  • 2006: member of the research committee on the Winchester Malory project (with De Montfort and the British Library) 
  • 2002-7: Research Associate, Laboratoire de Médiévistique Occidentale de Paris (LAMOP), Conseil National de Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne, Paris

I hold degrees from the University of Manchester (PhD, MPhil in English medieval literature) and the University of Bucharest (BA joint honours in English language, literature, linguistics and culture and Romanian language, literature and culture) and have taught at the University of Manchester, Trinity College Dublin and University François Rabelais, Tours.

I was a research fellow at New Europe College, Institute for Advanced Studies, Bucharest, Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (Paris) and the Huntington Library (as Andrew Mellon fellow) and a visiting researcher at Harvard University.