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Professor Diane Watt

Head of School of English and Languages

Qualifications: MA (Glasgow), MA (Bristol), DPhil (Oxon), FRSA

Email:
Phone: Work: 01483 68 3779
Room no: 01 LC 03

Further information

Biography

Diane Watt is Professor of English Literature and Head of the School of English and Languages. Diane came to the University of Surrey in 2011. She was previously Head of English and Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University. Diane works on medieval literature, women’s writing, gender and sexuality. Her books include Medieval Women’s Writing (2007), Amoral Gower (2004) and Secretaries of God (1997).

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Research Interests


• Old English Literature
• Middle English Literature
• Early Modern Literature
• Women’s Writing
• Feminist Theory
• Lesbian Studies
• Queer Theory

Other Research Activities:


Diane is general editor, with Jacqueline Murray, of the series ‘Gender in the Middle Ages’, published by Boydell and Brewer. Books in the series investigate topics concerned with medieval gender, from a literary or historical perspective. 


Diane is also general editor, with Denis Renevey, of the series ‘Religion and Culture in the Middle Ages’, published by University of Wales Press. The series is interdisciplinary in nature, and is largely concerned with the religious culture of medieval Western Europe.

Diane is a member of the advisory board for British and Irish Literature for Oxford Bibliographies


Diane is a member of the Programming Committee of the annual International Medieval Congress. She is responsible for the Women’s and Gender Studies Strand.

 She is a member of the Gender and Medieval Studies Steering Group.

Publications

Highlights

  • McAvoy LH, Watt D. (2012) The History of British Women's Writing, 700-1500. Great Britain : Palgrave Macmillan 1
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/326427/
  • Giffney N, Sauer MM, Watt D. (2011) The Lesbian Premodern. Palgrave MacMillan
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/342988/
  • Watt D. (2007) Medieval women's writing. Polity Pr
  • Watt D. (2003) Amoral Gower. Univ Of Minnesota Press
  • Watt D. (1997) Secretaries of God. D.S. Brewer

Journal articles

  • Watt D. (2010) 'Why men still aren't enough'. Duke University Press GLQ: a journal of lesbian and gay studies, 16 (3), pp. 451-464.
    doi: 10.1215/10642684-2009-039
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/216659/
  • Watt D. (2006) 'Women of God and arms: Female spirituality and political conflict, 1380-1600.'. AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW, 111, pp. 549-549.
    doi: 10.1086/ahr.111.2.549
  • Watt D. (2002) 'Oedipus, Apollonius, and Richard II: Sex and Politics in Book 8 of John Gower’s Confessio Amantis'. Studies in the Age of Chaucer, 24, pp. 181-208.
  • Watt D. (2001) 'Sins of Omission: Transgressive Genders, Subversive Sexualities, and Confessional Silences in John Gower’s Confessio Amantis'. Maney Publishing Exemplaria: a journal of theory in medieval and Renaissance studies, 13 (2), pp. 529-551.
  • Watt D. (1999) 'A Note on John Dering’s Tract de Duplice Spiritu'. Notes and Queries: for readers and writers, collectors and librarians, 244, pp. 326-328.
  • Watt D. (1999) '‘Literary Genealogy, Virile Rhetoric and John Gower’s Confessio Amantis,’'. Philological Quarterly: devoted to scholarly investigation of the classical and modern languages and literatures, 78, pp. 387-413.
  • Watt D. (1998) '‘Behaving Like a Man? Incest, Lesbian Desire and Gender Play in Yde et Olive and its Adaptations’'. Duke University Press on behalf of the University of Oregon Comparative Literature, 50 (4), pp. 265-285.
  • Watt D. (1998) 'Religion, Witchcraft and Writing: Women in the Reformation and Renaissance’'. Reformation, 3, pp. 359-369.
  • Watt D. (1997) '‘Reconstructing the Word: The Prophecies of Elizabeth Barton,’'. Renaissance Quarterly, 50, pp. 132-159.
  • Watt D. (1996) 'The Posthumous Reputation of the Holy Maid of Kent'. Recusant History, 23, pp. 148-158.
  • Watt D. (1994) '‘Nationalism in Barbour’s Bruce,’'. Parergon, n.s. 12, pp. 89-107.

Books

  • McAvoy LH, Watt D. (2012) The History of British Women's Writing, 700-1500. Great Britain : Palgrave Macmillan 1
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/326427/
  • Giffney N, Sauer MM, Watt D. (2011) The Lesbian Premodern. Palgrave MacMillan
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/342988/
  • Watt D. (2007) Medieval women's writing. Polity Pr
  • Watt D. (2004) The Paston women. Ds Brewer
  • Watt D. (2003) Amoral Gower. Univ Of Minnesota Press
  • Jowitt C, Watt D. (2002) The arts of 17th-century science. Ashgate Pub Ltd
  • Watt D. (2001) Secretaries of God. Boydell & Brewer
  • Shuttleton D, Watt D, Phillips R. (2000) De-centring sexualities. Routlegde
  • Watt D. (1997) Medieval women in their communities. Univ of Wales Pr
  • Watt D. (1997) Secretaries of God. D.S. Brewer

Book chapters

  • Watt D. (2013) 'Literature in Pieces: female sanctity and the relics of early women’s writing (500-1150)'. in (ed.) The Cambridge History of Early Medieval English Literature CUP
  • Watt D, McAvoy LH. (2011) 'Writing a History of Women's Writing from 700 to 1500'. in McAvoy LH, Watt D (eds.) The History of British Women's Writing, 700-1500
  • Watt D. (2011) 'Margery Kempe'. in McAvoy LH, Watt D (eds.) The History of British Women's Writing, 700-1500
  • Watt D, Lees CA. (2011) 'Age and Desire in the Old English Mary of Egypt'. in Niebrzydowski S (ed.) Middle-Aged Women in the Middle Ages DS Brewer
  • Watt D. (2010) 'Authorizing Female Piety'. in Treharne EM, Walker G, Green W (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Medieval Literature in English Oxford Univ Pr , pp. 240-259.
  • Watt D. (2009) 'John Gower'. in Scanlon L (ed.) The Cambridge companion to medieval English literature, 1100-1500 Cambridge Univ Pr , pp. 153-164.
  • Watt D. (2008) 'St Julian of the Apocalypse'. in McAvoy LH (ed.) A companion to Julian of Norwich Ds Brewer , pp. 64-74.
  • Watt D. (2006) 'Margery Kempe's Overseas Pilgrimages'. in Lees CA, Overing GR (eds.) A place to believe in Pennsylvania State Univ Pr
  • Watt D. (2004) 'Margery Kempe and the Prophetic Tradition'. in Arnold J, Lewis KJ (eds.) A companion to The book of Margery Kempe Ds Brewer , pp. 145-160.
  • Watt D. (2004) 'Gender and Sexuality'. in Echard S (ed.) A companion to Gower Ds Brewer , pp. 197-213.
  • Watt D. (2004) 'Critics, Communities and Compassionate Criticism: Learning from The Book of Margery Kempe'. in D'Arcens L, Ruys JF (eds.) Maistresse of my wit Brepols Publishers , pp. 191-210.
  • Watt D. (2002) 'Consuming Passions in Book 8 of John Gower’s Confessio Amantis'. in McAvoy LH, Walters T (eds.) Consuming narratives University Of Wales Press , pp. 28-41.
  • Watt D. (2001) 'Medieval Millenarianism and Prophecy'. in Hunt S (ed.) Christian millenarianism C. Hurst & Co. Publishers , pp. 88-97.
  • Watt D. (1997) 'Read My Lips: Clippyng and Kyssyng in the Early Sixteenth Century'. in Livia A, Hall K (eds.) Queerly phrased Oxford University Press, USA , pp. 167-177.
    [ Status: Submitted ]
  • Watt D. (1996) 'The Prophet at Home: Elizabeth Barton and the Influence of Bridget of Sweden and Catherine of Siena'. in Voaden R (ed.) Prophets abroad Boydell & Brewer , pp. 161-176.
  • Watt D. (1993) '‘”No Writing for Writing’s Sake”: The Language of Service and Household Rhetoric in the Letters of the Paston Women''. in Cherewatuk K, Wiethaus U (eds.) Dear Sister Univ of Pennsylvania Pr , pp. 122-138.

Departmental Duties

Head of School