Congratulations to Dr Rachele Svetlana Bassan who has been awarded a British Academy International Fellowship and will be based at the English Faculty for two years from March 2026. She will also be taking up a Non-stipendiary Junior Research Fellowship at Jesus College.
Dr Bassan will be researching ‘Theatre without Borders: Drama in Transnational Caroline Culture’.
'This study examines the impact of continental culture —particularly from France, Italy, and Spain, key forces in early modern Europe — on Caroline theatre (1625-1649), reframing its role as a locus of cultural interaction amid religious conflict (e.g., the Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648), European political shifts, and an economic climate leading to the first trade wars of the 1650s. Through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates textual analysis, archival research, inter-arts and performance studies, this research examines how Caroline theatre absorbed and adapted international cultural discourse to shape its identity.'
Dr Bassan said: "I am very grateful to the British Academy for the wonderful opportunity and to Oxford for welcoming this project so warmly".
The British Academy International Fellowships offer researchers the opportunity to work at a UK institution for two years. They give outstanding early career researchers the opportunity to gain experience across international borders and aim to build a ‘globally connected, mobile research and innovation workforce’.
We look forward to welcoming Dr Bassan to the English Faculty in 2026. Find out more about International Fellowships on the British Academy website.
