Dr Claire Bowditch

At the heart of my research lie the writings of the Restoration writer Aphra Behn (1640-89). I am especially interested in questions of Behn's literary borrowing, her professional networks, her stagecraft, and her relationship with material texts.

I am currently editing five of Behn's plays for volumes II, III, and IV of the forthcoming Cambridge Works of Aphra Behn. My scholarly editions of The False Count, The Feign'd Curtizans, The Luckey Chance, Sir Patient Fancy, and The Town Fopp will be available in both original and modern spelling, in print, and as XML-encoded electronic texts. With Mel Evans, Elaine Hobby, and Gillian Wright, I also serve as one of the General Editors for this eight-volume edition, which includes editorial contributions from scholars in the UK, continental Europe, North America, and Australia.

I am also interested in Restoration printing practices and book history. I have been awarded research fellowships by the following libraries: Firestone Library, Princeton University; Folger Shakespeare Library; Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin; Houghton Library, Harvard University; Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

I welcome proposals for graduate study related to any of the areas mentioned above.