My research and teaching interests are broad and include Old English literature and language, Old Norse literature and Norse mythology, runes and runology, the translation and reception of medieval literature, and Vikings in popular culture. I publish regularly in these areas, and have supervised PhDs in the field of early medieval textualities, reception and translation studies, Old English poetry and prose, and Old Norse literature and culture. I also teach on the undergraduate and MA programmes, and occasionally spend my summers sailing with the crew of the Viking ship 'Sea Stallion from Glendalough'.
Whilst I publish regularly on medieval texts and contexts - including the Old English riddles, Eddic poetry, and early medieval manuscript culture - recent publications have focused on the reception of the medieval past. The include a monograph based on my doctoral thesis entitled Reading the Runes in Old English and Old Norse Poetry (Routledge 2017); an edited collection (with Dr Kirsty March) on the subject of Translating Early Medieval Poetry (D.S. Brewer, 2018); and several articles on translation and retelling. A second collection, co-edited with Dr Roderick Dale, entitled The Vikings Reimagined: Reception, Recovery, Engagement, was published by De Gruyter/ MIP Press in 2020.
I regularly disseminate my research in the public domain, including serving as a panelist on Talking History, conducting interviews in the national press, and delivering talks for schools and community groups. I have written a commercially successful retelling of Norse myth and legend for Quercus, recently translated into Japanese, Chinese and Russian, and a second retelling of the Norse myths for children, Legends of Norse Mythology (illustrated by Isabella Mazzanti) was published in October 2023 with Quarto / Wide-Eyed Books, and has been translated into Italian, Swedish and Croatian.
EN1011: Literature in Time (coordinator, co-taught)
EN2003: Beyond Beowulf: Old English Heroic Poetry (seminar convenor)
EN2012: Old English Language (coordinator, fully online)
EN3015: Of Monsters and Men: Old and Early English Literature (coordinator)
EN3006: Poetry of the Vikings (seminar convener)
EN6053: Old English Literature to c. 1200 (MA module, coordinator)
EN6052: New Histories of the Book: Theories and Practices of Earlier Writing (coordinator; co-taught)
EN6017 Dissertation in English (13 dissertations supervised to completion)
I regularly supervise PhDs in the area of Old English literature, Old Norse literature and mythology, and book history, and I am contributing a module on Norse myth for the Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) department in Cork (AD1104).
Biography
I joined UCC in 2012 as a Lecturer in Old English and Old Norse, and in 2018 won the University's 'Early Stage Researcher of the Year' award after leading several major projects on the legacy of medieval literature and culture. I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in the 2022 round.My research and teaching interests are broad and include Old English literature and language, Old Norse literature and Norse mythology, runes and runology, the translation and reception of medieval literature, and Vikings in popular culture. I publish regularly in these areas, and have supervised PhDs in the field of early medieval textualities, reception and translation studies, Old English poetry and prose, and Old Norse literature and culture. I also teach on the undergraduate and MA programmes, and occasionally spend my summers sailing with the crew of the Viking ship 'Sea Stallion from Glendalough'.
Research Interests
Following completion of my PhD in Old English and Old Norse at Oxford in 2012, I worked as the Research Officer on the Woruldhord Project at Oxford University Computing Services; served as ECR on the AHRC-funded Orkney Viking Heritage Project; co-lead a research team investigating Viking heritage in Munster as part of the AHRC-funded project Languages, Myths and Finds; and co-organised an IRC-funded network ('Eald to New') investigating the translation of early medieval poetry. In 2016/17 I was PI on the World-Tree Project, a large-scale community collection initiative in the field of Old Norse-Viking Studies, funded by an IRC 'New-Horizons' Starter Grant. I received the University's Early Stage Researcher of the Year award in 2018.Whilst I publish regularly on medieval texts and contexts - including the Old English riddles, Eddic poetry, and early medieval manuscript culture - recent publications have focused on the reception of the medieval past. The include a monograph based on my doctoral thesis entitled Reading the Runes in Old English and Old Norse Poetry (Routledge 2017); an edited collection (with Dr Kirsty March) on the subject of Translating Early Medieval Poetry (D.S. Brewer, 2018); and several articles on translation and retelling. A second collection, co-edited with Dr Roderick Dale, entitled The Vikings Reimagined: Reception, Recovery, Engagement, was published by De Gruyter/ MIP Press in 2020.
I regularly disseminate my research in the public domain, including serving as a panelist on Talking History, conducting interviews in the national press, and delivering talks for schools and community groups. I have written a commercially successful retelling of Norse myth and legend for Quercus, recently translated into Japanese, Chinese and Russian, and a second retelling of the Norse myths for children, Legends of Norse Mythology (illustrated by Isabella Mazzanti) was published in October 2023 with Quarto / Wide-Eyed Books, and has been translated into Italian, Swedish and Croatian.
Research Grants
| Project | Funding Body | Start Date | End Date | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mapping the Reception and Legacy of the Vikings in Europe | Enterprise Irl | 30-MAY-24 | 02-MAY-26 | €3,707.00 | |
| Gendered Trauma in Old English Literature | Irish Research Council | 01-SEP-24 | 31-AUG-26 | €62,000.00 | |
| Mapping Norse and Viking Heritage and Its Impact in the European Research Area | Enterprise Irl | 30-SEP-22 | 29-SEP-23 | €13,997.00 | |
| Developing the Old English Online Language Learning Tool and Interactive Online Course | National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | 01-NOV-19 | 31-MAY-21 | €2,000.00 | |
| Mapping the reception and legacy of Norse and Viking cultures in Europe. | Enterprise Irl | 09-MAY-18 | 08-JUL-19 | €5,367.00 | |
| The World Tree - An interactive Digital Archive for the Teaching and Study of the Vikings. | Irish Research Council | 01-NOV-15 | 01-FEB-17 | €94,966.00 | |
| Irish Research Council; Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship 2017; Declan Taggart; "Rethinking old gods: An investigation of Old Norse conceptions of the divine"; GOIPD/2017/1171; Tom Birkett | Irish Research Council | 01-OCT-17 | 30-SEP-19 | €89,582.00 | |
| Vernacular Saints' Lives in England 900-1300 - Houmour Gender. | Irish Research Council | 01-OCT-15 | 30-SEP-17 | €48,000.00 | |
| From Eald to New: Translating Early Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century | Irish Research Council | 01-JAN-14 | 15-NOV-14 | €5,465.00 |
Publications
Books
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | Runes: A Concise History (Forthcoming). Tom Birkett (2024) Runes: A Concise History (Forthcoming). Oxford: Oxford University Press (under contract). [Details] | |
| (2019) | The Norse Myths (Paperback edition). Tom Birkett (2019) The Norse Myths (Paperback edition). London: Quercus. [Details] | |
| (2023) | Legends of Norse Mythology: Enter a World of Gods, Giants, Monsters and Heroes. Tom Birkett (author) and Isabella Mazzanti (Illustrator) (2023) Legends of Norse Mythology: Enter a World of Gods, Giants, Monsters and Heroes. London: Quarto / Wide Eyed Books. [Details] | |
| (2018) | The Norse Myths: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes Vividly Retold. Tom Birkett (2018) The Norse Myths: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes Vividly Retold. London: Quercus. [Details] | |
| (2017) | Reading the Runes in Old English and Old Norse Poetry. Birkett, Tom (2017) Reading the Runes in Old English and Old Norse Poetry. London: Routledge. [Details] |
Edited Books
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2020) | The Vikings Reimagined: Reception, Recovery, Engagement Tom Birkett and Roderick Dale (Ed.). (2020) The Vikings Reimagined: Reception, Recovery, Engagement Kalamazoo, MI: De Gruyter/Medieval Institute Publications. [Details] | |
| (2017) | Translating Early Medieval Poetry: Transformation, Reception, Interpretation Tom Birkett and Kirsty March-Lyons (Ed.). (2017) Translating Early Medieval Poetry: Transformation, Reception, Interpretation Cambridge: D.S. Brewer. [Details] | |
| (2014) | The Vikings in Munster (Languages, Myths and Finds - Volume 3) Tom Birkett and Christina Lee (Ed.). (2014) The Vikings in Munster (Languages, Myths and Finds - Volume 3) The Vikings in Munster (Languages, Myths and Finds - Volume 3). Nottingham: University of Nottingham / Mitel Publishing. [Full Text] [Details] |
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | 'Runes in the Exeter Book – Scribal Recreation or Runic Edification?' Tom Birkett (2024) 'Runes in the Exeter Book – Scribal Recreation or Runic Edification?'. Medium Aevum, 92 (2):218-241 [Details] | |
| (2023) | 'Vine-workers of the Lord: A Reading of the Runic Sequence and Imagery of the Tollemache Orosius Flyleaf'' Tom Birkett (2023) 'Vine-workers of the Lord: A Reading of the Runic Sequence and Imagery of the Tollemache Orosius Flyleaf''. Anglo-Saxon England, 50 :1-28 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2023) | '“Boy, what do those runes say?” Runic Play in Norse-Themed Digital Games'' Tom Birkett (2023) '“Boy, what do those runes say?” Runic Play in Norse-Themed Digital Games''. Studies in Medievalism, 32 [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'On engliscre spræce? Old English and the Politics of “Intralingual” Translation' Tom Birkett (2022) 'On engliscre spræce? Old English and the Politics of “Intralingual” Translation'. Palimpsestes, 36 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'The Page as Monument: Epigraphical Transposition in the runica manuscripta Tradition of Early Medieval England' Tom Birkett (2022) 'The Page as Monument: Epigraphical Transposition in the runica manuscripta Tradition of Early Medieval England'. Manuscript and Text Cultures, 1 :205-231 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'The Clontarf Effect: Teaching Old Norse in the Year of the Vikings' Tom Birkett (2018) 'The Clontarf Effect: Teaching Old Norse in the Year of the Vikings'. Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching, 25 (1):15-33 [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Gnýs ævintýr - Edition and Translation' Jeffrey S. Love, Beeke Stegman, Tom Birkett (2016) 'Gnýs ævintýr - Edition and Translation'. Opuscula, 14 :25-88 [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Unlocking Runes? Reading Anglo-Saxon Runic Abbreviations in Their Immediate Literary Context' Birkett, Tom (2015) 'Unlocking Runes? Reading Anglo-Saxon Runic Abbreviations in Their Immediate Literary Context'. Futhark: International Journal of Runic Studies, 5 :91-114 [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Runes and Revelatio: Cynewulf’s Signatures Reconsidered' Birkett, Tom (2014) 'Runes and Revelatio: Cynewulf’s Signatures Reconsidered'. Review Of English Studies, 65 (272):771-789 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'A Cautionary Tale: Reading the Runic Message in Atlamál in Groenlenzko' Birkett, Tom (2014) 'A Cautionary Tale: Reading the Runic Message in Atlamál in Groenlenzko'. Viking and Medieval Scandinavia, 9 :1-18 [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'Correcting Bede's Corrector? A Runic Note in the Margins of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 41' Birkett, Thomas (2012) 'Correcting Bede's Corrector? A Runic Note in the Margins of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 41'. Notes and Queries, New Series, Vol. 59 (No. 4):465-470 [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] |
Book Chapters
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | '“Where mighty rivers sprayed poison”: Aspects of Water in Old Norse Myth' Tom Birkett (2024) '“Where mighty rivers sprayed poison”: Aspects of Water in Old Norse Myth' In: Marilina Cesario, Hugh Magennis and Elisa Ramazzina Ra (eds). The Elements in the Medieval World: interdisciplinary perspectives: water. Leiden: Brill. [Details] | |
| (2023) | '“Here are the words of the Æsir themselves”: Retelling the Master Builder Myth between Translation and Adaptation'' Tom Birkett (2023) '“Here are the words of the Æsir themselves”: Retelling the Master Builder Myth between Translation and Adaptation'' In: Carl Phelpstead and Siân Grønlie (eds). The Medieval North and its Afterlife. Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications. [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2022) | 'Tolkien's Runes and Their Legacy' Tom Birkett (2022) 'Tolkien's Runes and Their Legacy' In: Jorge Luis Bueno Alonso (eds). Tolkien in the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge: CSP. [Details] | |
| (2020) | 'Introduction: Vikings in the Public Eye' Tom Birkett (2020) 'Introduction: Vikings in the Public Eye' In: Tom Birkett and Roderick Dale (eds). The Vikings Reimagined: Reception, Recovery, Engagement. Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications. [Details] | |
| (2018) | '‘Translating a Tradition: the Rune Poems of Anglo-Saxon England and Medieval Scandinavia’' Tom Birkett (2018) '‘Translating a Tradition: the Rune Poems of Anglo-Saxon England and Medieval Scandinavia’' In: Carrie Griffin and Emer Purcell (eds). Text and Transmission in the European Middle Ages, 1000-1500. Turnhout: Brepols. [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Introduction: From Eald to New' Tom Birkett and Kirsty March-Lyons (2017) 'Introduction: From Eald to New' In: Tom Birkett and Kirsty March-Lyons (eds). Translating Early Medieval Poetry: Transformation, Reception, Interpretation. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer. [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Stitched Up? Cynewulf, Authorial Attribution and Textual Stasis in Anglo-Saxon England' Tom Birkett (2017) 'Stitched Up? Cynewulf, Authorial Attribution and Textual Stasis in Anglo-Saxon England' In: M. J. D. Bintley, M. Locker, M. Symons, M. Wellesley (eds). Stasis in the Medieval West? Questioning Change and Continuity. London: Palgrave. [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Chapter 17: Old Norse' Birkett, Thomas (2014) 'Chapter 17: Old Norse' In: Stuart Lee (eds). A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture). Oxford: Wiley/Blackwell. [Details] |
Book Reviews
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | REVIEW of Kerstin Majewski. 2022. The Ruthwell Cross and its Texts. A New Reconstruction and an Edition of “The Ruthwell Crucifixion Poem”. Tom Birkett and Eamonn O'Carragain (2024) REVIEW of Kerstin Majewski. 2022. The Ruthwell Cross and its Texts. A New Reconstruction and an Edition of “The Ruthwell Crucifixion Poem”. Book Reviews [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2021) | Review of Megan E. Hartman, Poetic Style and Innovation in Old English, Old Norse, and Old Saxon, Richard Rawlinson Centre Serie s for Anglo-Saxon Studies (Berlin and Boston, Mass.: De Gruyter, 2020). xiii + 213 pp. ISBN 978-1-5015-1832- 4. €86.95. Tom Birkett (2021) Review of Megan E. Hartman, Poetic Style and Innovation in Old English, Old Norse, and Old Saxon, Richard Rawlinson Centre Serie s for Anglo-Saxon Studies (Berlin and Boston, Mass.: De Gruyter, 2020). xiii + 213 pp. ISBN 978-1-5015-1832- 4. €86.95. Oxford: Book Reviews [Details] | |
| (2019) | Review of Siân E. Grønlie, The Saint and the Saga Hero: Hagiography and Early Icelandic Literature. Tom Birkett (2019) Review of Siân E. Grønlie, The Saint and the Saga Hero: Hagiography and Early Icelandic Literature. Book Reviews [Details] | |
| (2018) | REVIEW of Peter Orton, Writing in a Speaking World: The Pragmatics of Literacy in Anglo-Saxon Inscriptions and Old English Poetry. Tom Birkett (2018) REVIEW of Peter Orton, Writing in a Speaking World: The Pragmatics of Literacy in Anglo-Saxon Inscriptions and Old English Poetry. Book Reviews [Details] | |
| (2017) | Review of Laurence de Looze, Jón Karl Helgason, Russell Poole and Torfi H. Tulinius eds, 'Egil, the viking poet: new approaches to Egil’s saga'. Toronto Old Norse and Icelandic Series. University of Toronto Press. Toronto, 2015. 242 pp. ISBN 978-1-4426-4969-9. in Saga-Book 40 (2016), 160-62. Tom Birkett (2017) Review of Laurence de Looze, Jón Karl Helgason, Russell Poole and Torfi H. Tulinius eds, 'Egil, the viking poet: new approaches to Egil’s saga'. Toronto Old Norse and Icelandic Series. University of Toronto Press. Toronto, 2015. 242 pp. ISBN 978-1-4426-4969-9. in Saga-Book 40 (2016), 160-62. London: Book Reviews [Details] | |
| (2014) | Review of EMILY V. THORNBURY. Becoming a Poet in Anglo-Saxon England. Pp. xii + 322 (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Cloth, £65., 'Review of English Studies' (Advance Access published June 16, 2014). Birkett, Tom (2014) Review of EMILY V. THORNBURY. Becoming a Poet in Anglo-Saxon England. Pp. xii + 322 (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Cloth, £65., 'Review of English Studies' (Advance Access published June 16, 2014). Oxford: Book Reviews [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | Review of MICHAEL P BARNES, 'Runes: A Handbook' (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2012), 'Saga-Book: The Journal of the Viking Society for Northern Research' (2014): 163-5. Birkett, Tom (2014) Review of MICHAEL P BARNES, 'Runes: A Handbook' (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2012), 'Saga-Book: The Journal of the Viking Society for Northern Research' (2014): 163-5. London: Book Reviews [Details] | |
| (2014) | Review of PAUL KINGSNORTH, 'The Wake' (Unbound, 2014), The Times Literary Supplement No. 5084 (June 2014). Birkett, Tom (2014) Review of PAUL KINGSNORTH, 'The Wake' (Unbound, 2014), The Times Literary Supplement No. 5084 (June 2014). Book Reviews [Details] |
Encyclopedia Entries
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2017) | RUNES in The Encyclopedia of British Medieval Literature (1000 word entry). Birkett, Tom (2017) RUNES in The Encyclopedia of British Medieval Literature (1000 word entry). Oxford:John Wiley & Sons Ltd.. Encyclopedia Entries. [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2017) | RUNE POEM in The Encyclopedia of British Medieval Literature (1000 word entry). Birkett, Tom (2017) RUNE POEM in The Encyclopedia of British Medieval Literature (1000 word entry). John Wiley & Sons Ltd.. Encyclopedia Entries. [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2017) | CYNEWULF in The Encyclopedia of British Medieval Literature (3000 word entry). Birkett, Tom (2017) CYNEWULF in The Encyclopedia of British Medieval Literature (3000 word entry). Oxford:John Wiley & Sons Ltd.. Encyclopedia Entries. [Full Text] [Details] |
Conference Publications
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2010) | Preprints to the Seventh International Symposium on Runes and Runic Inscriptions: 'Runes in Context', Oslo, 2010 Birkett, Thomas (2010) 'The Alysendlecan Rune: Runic Abbreviations in their Immediate Literary Context' Preprints to the Seventh International Symposium on Runes and Runic Inscriptions: 'Runes in Context', Oslo, 2010 [Details] |
Published Reports
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2021) | Old English to Old English Online. Tom Birkett (2021) Old English to Old English Online. TOEBI Newsletter, NUIG. [Details] | |
| (2017) | Case Study: The World-Tree Project - Connecting worlds to advance the study of the Viking past and to understand its impact on the present. Tom Birkett (2017) Case Study: The World-Tree Project - Connecting worlds to advance the study of the Viking past and to understand its impact on the present. CACSSS (UCC), Cork. [Details] | |
| (2014) | UCC Conferencing Report: From Eald to New: Translating Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century. Tom Birkett and Kirsty March (2014) UCC Conferencing Report: From Eald to New: Translating Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century. UCC Conferencing Newsletter, Cork. [Details] | |
| (2014) | N&N Report: From Eald to New: Translating Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century. Tom Birkett and Kirsty March (2014) N&N Report: From Eald to New: Translating Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century. Networks and Neighbours, Leeds. [Details] | |
| (2014) | TOEBI Report: From Eald to New: Translating Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century. Tom Birkett and Kirsty March (2014) TOEBI Report: From Eald to New: Translating Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century. TOEBI Newsletter, Leicester. [Details] | |
| (2014) | Cuttings Report: From Eald to New: Translating Early Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century June 5-7, 2014, University College Cork. Tom Birkett and Kirsty March (2014) Cuttings Report: From Eald to New: Translating Early Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century June 5-7, 2014, University College Cork. Cuttings: Newsletter of the Forum for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Ireland, UCC. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Feature: 'Sailing with the Sea Stallion from Glendalough'. Tom Birkett (2013) Feature: 'Sailing with the Sea Stallion from Glendalough'. Cuttings: Newsletter of the Forum for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Ireland, FMRSI. [Details] |
Electronic Source
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2011) | Detailed descriptions of artefacts and submissions to the Woruldhord Project. T. Birkett, A. Caughey and S. Lee (2011) Detailed descriptions of artefacts and submissions to the Woruldhord Project. Oxford: Electronic Source [Details] |
Generic
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2014) | The Viking Facebook in 'The Verge' (Interview, quoted by the author). Veronique Greenwood (2014) The Viking Facebook in 'The Verge' (Interview, quoted by the author). Generic [Details] |
Newspaper Articles
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2022) | THE CONVERSATION Far-right extremists keep co-opting Norse symbolism – here’s why. Tom Birkett (2022) THE CONVERSATION Far-right extremists keep co-opting Norse symbolism – here’s why. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2021) | ABC News (Australia) US Capitol riot: the myths behind the tattoos worn by ‘QAnon shaman’ Jake Angeli. Tom Birkett (2021) ABC News (Australia) US Capitol riot: the myths behind the tattoos worn by ‘QAnon shaman’ Jake Angeli. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2021) | THE CONVERSATION US Capitol riot: the myths behind the tattoos worn by ‘QAnon shaman’ Jake Angeli. Tom Birkett (2021) THE CONVERSATION US Capitol riot: the myths behind the tattoos worn by ‘QAnon shaman’ Jake Angeli. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2016) | IRISH WORLD Write-Up: UCC world first to discover the impact of the Vikings. Irish World (2016) IRISH WORLD Write-Up: UCC world first to discover the impact of the Vikings. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2016) | IRISH EXAMINER Write-Up 'University Compiling Viking Database'. Sean O'Riordan (2016) IRISH EXAMINER Write-Up 'University Compiling Viking Database'. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2016) | WEST CORK PEOPLE WRITE UP: UCC World First to Discover the Impact of the Vikings. West Cork People (2016) WEST CORK PEOPLE WRITE UP: UCC World First to Discover the Impact of the Vikings. Clonakilty: Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2016) | THE IRISH SUN, 'Did Vikings Love their Women?'. Fiona Ellis using information supplied by Tom Birkett (2016) THE IRISH SUN, 'Did Vikings Love their Women?'. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2016) | EVENING ECHO Write Up: UCC to Source Online Materials about the Vikings. Evening Echo (2016) EVENING ECHO Write Up: UCC to Source Online Materials about the Vikings. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2016) | Person to Person Interview for the Evening Echo. Tom Birkett (2016) Person to Person Interview for the Evening Echo. Newspaper Articles [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2016) | SOUTHERN STAR Write-Up: Looking Norse - UCC Spearheads Research. Southern Star (2016) SOUTHERN STAR Write-Up: Looking Norse - UCC Spearheads Research. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2013) | IRISH TIMES interview: 'A lecturer turns Viking: My colleagues thought I was quite mad'. Colette Sheridan (2013) IRISH TIMES interview: 'A lecturer turns Viking: My colleagues thought I was quite mad'. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2014) | EVENING ECHO Interview: Violent Vikings Stereotype is Long Way from the Truth. Colette Sheridan (2014) EVENING ECHO Interview: Violent Vikings Stereotype is Long Way from the Truth. Cork: Newspaper Articles [Details] |
Online Database
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2016) | The World-Tree Project: An Interactive Digital Archive for the Teaching and Study of the Vikings. Birkett, Tom and Dale, Roderick (2016) The World-Tree Project: An Interactive Digital Archive for the Teaching and Study of the Vikings. www.worldtreeproject.org: Online Database [Details] |
Web Page
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2012) | www.orkneyproject.org. Birkett, Tom (2012) www.orkneyproject.org. Web Page [Details] | |
| (2014) | Website of 'Eald to New'. Tom Birkett and Kirsty March (2014) Website of 'Eald to New'. Web Page [Details] |
Interview
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2016) | IRISH TIMES Write-Up 'UCC Archive Seeks to Plunder Public’s Viking Artefacts'. Hugh Linehan (2016) IRISH TIMES Write-Up 'UCC Archive Seeks to Plunder Public’s Viking Artefacts'. Interview [Details] |
Radio Feature
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2022) | The Far-Right Appropriation of Norse Myth (BBC Scotland). Tom Birkett (2022) The Far-Right Appropriation of Norse Myth (BBC Scotland). Glasgow: Radio Feature [Details] | |
| (2021) | Interview for 'The Hard Shoulder': Hate Symbols in the US Capitol Attacks (Newstalk). Tom Birkett (2021) Interview for 'The Hard Shoulder': Hate Symbols in the US Capitol Attacks (Newstalk). Radio Feature [Details] | |
| (2018) | Panelist for 'The History of Norse Mythology' (Newstalk). Tom Birkett (2018) Panelist for 'The History of Norse Mythology' (Newstalk). Radio Feature [Details] |
Professional Activities
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | School of English Research Support Fund (€200) | School of English and Digital Humanities | |
| 2022 | ERC Proposal Preparation Grant (€13,997) | Enterprise Ireland | |
| 2022 | CACSSS Research Support Grant (€500) | CACSSS | |
| 2019 | Developing Disciplinary Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Assessment Grant (€2000) | National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning | |
| 2018 | UCC Early Stage Researcher of the Year Award | UCC | |
| 2018 | Enterprise Ireland Proposal Preparation Grant (€5,367) | Enterprise Ireland | |
| 2017 | Runner up for the Irish Research Council Early Career Researcher of the Year award | IRC | |
| 2016 | School of English Research Support Fund (€200) | School of English | |
| 2016 | CACSSS Research Support Grant (€500) | CACSSS | |
| 2016 | NUI Publications Grant (€391) | National University of Ireland | |
| 2015 | CACSSS Research Support Grant (€500) | CACSSS | |
| 2014 | School of English Research Support Fund (€200) | School of English | |
| 2015 | IRC New Horizons Starter Grant (€94,966) | IRC | |
| 2014 | CACSSS Research Support Grant (€500) | CACSSS | |
| 2014 | SSMLL Conference Support Grant (£500) | Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature (SSMLL) | |
| 2014 | IRC New Foundations Grant (€5,465) | Irish Research Council | |
| 2014 | Information Services Strategic Fund (€500) | Information Services, UCC | |
| 2013 | CACSSS Research Support Grant (€500) | CACSSS | |
| 2011 | Christopher Little Literary Agency (CLLA) Prize for Fiction (£1,500) | CLLA / Exeter College, Oxford | |
| 2010 | Government of Iceland Travel Grant (£500) | Faculty of English, University of Oxford | |
| 2010 | VSNR Research Grant (£200) | Viking Society for Northern Research | |
| 2009 | St Cross College Research Grants (£600) | St Cross College, Oxford | |
| 2009 | Meyerstein Grant (£500) | Faculty of English, University of Oxford | |
| 2008 | AHRC Doctoral Award (three years, fully funded) | AHRC |
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forum for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Ireland (FMRSI) | Member | / | |
| Teachers of Old English in Britain and Ireland (TOEBI) | Committee Member | 26-OCT-13 / | |
| International Society of Anglo-Saxonists (ISAS) | Member | / | |
| Viking Society for Northern Research (VSNR) | Member | / | |
| Higher Education Academy (HEA) | Associate Fellow | / | |
| Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature (SSMLL) | Member | / | |
| Early English Text Society (EETS) | Member | / | |
| Viking Ship Museum (Vikingeskibsmuseet) Guild | Member | 01-JUN-13 / |
Conference Contributions
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2024) | Old English in Ireland Research Day, Tom Birkett (2024) One day symposium sharing recent research from across the island of Ireland. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Old English in Ireland Research Day, UCC , 02-MAY-24 - 02-MAY-24. [Details] | |
| (2024) | Old English in Ireland Research Day, Tom Birkett (2024) 'New Finds and the Changing Face of Runic Practice in England'. [Oral Presentation], Old English in Ireland Research Day, UCC , 02-MAY-24 - 02-MAY-24. [Details] | |
| (2023) | Wind from the North: Meeting with the Vikings (Seminar series), Tom Birkett (2023) Runes of Power Upon the Door: Tolkien's Invented Runic System. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Wind from the North: Meeting with the Vikings (Seminar series), Jagiellonian University, Kraków , 20-MAR-23 - 20-MAR-23. [Details] | |
| (2022) | TOEBI Old English Workshop, Tom Birkett (2022) Teaching with Old English Online. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], TOEBI Old English Workshop, Online (NUIG) , 17-DEC-22 - 17-DEC-22. [Details] | |
| (2022) | Centre for Nordic and Old English Studies Seminar, Tom Birkett (2022) Tolkien and Old Norse. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Centre for Nordic and Old English Studies Seminar, University of Silesia, Poland , 16-NOV-22 - 16-NOV-22. [Details] | |
| (2022) | Spanish Society for Medieval English Literature and Language (SELIM) 32, Tom Birkett (2022) 'Plain Old Letters? Reassessing the Semantics of OE run'. [Oral Presentation], Spanish Society for Medieval English Literature and Language (SELIM) 32, University of La Rioja , 14-SEP-22 - 16-SEP-22. [Details] | |
| (2022) | Ninth International Symposium on Runes and Runic Inscriptions, Tom Birkett (2022) Ludic Functions of Literacy: Playing with Runes in the Old English Tradition. [Oral Presentation], Ninth International Symposium on Runes and Runic Inscriptions, Sankelmark / Gottingen Academy of Sciences, Germany , 14-JUN-22 - 19-JUN-22. [Details] | |
| (2022) | Tolkien in the 21st Century, Tom Birkett (2022) Tolkien's Runes and their Legacy. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Tolkien in the 21st Century, Vigo, Spain , 27-MAY-22 - 27-MAY-22. [Details] | |
| (2021) | Guest Seminar at Columbia University, Tom Birkett (2021) Seminar on the runic script for students in Department of English and Comparative Literature. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Guest Seminar at Columbia University, New York , 13-NOV-21 - 13-NOV-21. [Details] | |
| (2021) | The Vikings in Cork Public Conference hosted by Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Tom Birkett (2021) From Pillagers to Pin-ups: Perspectives on the Vikings in the 21st Century. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The Vikings in Cork Public Conference hosted by Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Cork , 19-JUN-21 - 19-JUN-21. [Details] | |
| (2021) | International Society for the Study of Early Medieval England 2021, Tom Birkett (2021) 'On engliscre spræce? Old English and the Politics of ‘Intralingual’ Translation'. [Oral Presentation], International Society for the Study of Early Medieval England 2021, Adelaide , 21-JUN-21 - 22-JUN-21. [Details] | |
| (2020) | TOEBI Conference 2020, Tom Birkett (2020) Old English to Old English Online. [Oral Presentation], TOEBI Conference 2020, NUIG (Online) , 14-NOV-20 - 14-NOV-20. [Details] | |
| (2019) | Viking Seminar, University of Alicante, Tom Birkett (2019) The Page as Monument: Epigraphical Transposition in the Runica manuscripta Tradition of Early Medieval England. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Viking Seminar, University of Alicante, University of Alicante , 22-NOV-19 - 22-JAN-20. [Details] | |
| (2019) | Scandinavian Studies Seminar (University of Aberdeen), Tom Birkett (2019) 'Snorri’s Masterbuilder Narrative and ‘Necessary Failure’ in Norse Myth'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Scandinavian Studies Seminar (University of Aberdeen), University of Aberdeen , 24-OCT-19 - 24-NOV-19. [Details] | |
| (2019) | Dublin Festival of History Viking Lecture, Tom Birkett (2019) 'Retelling the Norse Myths'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Dublin Festival of History Viking Lecture, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin , 11-OCT-19 - 11-OCT-19. [Details] | |
| (2019) | 33rd Irish Conference of Medievalists, Tom Birkett (2019) 'Snorri’s Masterbuilder Narrative and ‘Necessary Failure’ in Norse Myth'. [Oral Presentation], 33rd Irish Conference of Medievalists, UCC , 28-JUN-19. [Details] | |
| (2019) | Translation Studies Workshop, Tom Birkett (2019) On Engliscre spræce? New Old English and the Politics of ‘Intralingual’ Translation. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Translation Studies Workshop, UCC , 20-JUN-19. [Details] | |
| (2019) | School of English Research Seminar, UCC, Tom Birkett (2019) Stories for our Times? Retelling the Norse Myths. [Oral Presentation], School of English Research Seminar, UCC, University College Cork , 27-MAR-19 - 27-MAR-19. [Details] | |
| (2019) | St Cross Talks, Tom Birkett (2019) Stories for our Times: Retelling the Norse Myths. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], St Cross Talks, St Cross College, Oxford , 19-FEB-19 - 19-FEB-19. [Details] | |
| (2018) | Aspects of Water in the Middle Ages, QUB, Tom Birkett (2018) 'Aspects of Water in Old Norse Myth'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Aspects of Water in the Middle Ages, QUB, Queen's University, Belfast , 10-NOV-18 - 10-NOV-18. [Details] | |
| (2018) | 32nd Irish Conference of Medievalists, Thomas Birkett (2018) Organising Committee. [Conference Organising Committee Member], 32nd Irish Conference of Medievalists, University College Cork , 01-JAN-18 - 01-JUL-18. [Details] | |
| (2018) | 32nd Irish Conference of Medievalists, Tom Birkett (2018) Map Norse: The Role of Community Collection in Mapping Norse and Viking Cultures. [Oral Presentation], 32nd Irish Conference of Medievalists, University College Cork , 28-JUN-18 - 30-JUN-18. [Details] | |
| (2017) | TOEBI 2017 'Teaching Old English Across Borders', Tom Birkett (2017) Conference Organisation. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], TOEBI 2017 'Teaching Old English Across Borders', UCC , 21-OCT-17 - 21-OCT-17. [Details] | |
| (2017) | Oxford Medieval English Seminar, Thomas Birkett (2017) The Writing on the Wall: Runes, Old English Poetry and Scriptural History. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Oxford Medieval English Seminar, University of Oxford , 01-MAR-17 - 01-MAR-17. [Details] | |
| (2016) | Rediscovering the Vikings: Reception, Recovery, Engagement, Tom Birkett (2016) The World-Tree Project Launch (Presentation). [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Rediscovering the Vikings: Reception, Recovery, Engagement, UCC , 25-NOV-16 - 26-NOV-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | Rediscovering the Vikings: Reception, Recovery, Engagement, Tom Birkett (2016) Opening and Closing Address. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Rediscovering the Vikings: Reception, Recovery, Engagement, UCC , 25-NOV-16 - 26-NOV-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | 28th International Conference of the Spanish Society for Medieval English Language and Literature (SELIM), Tom Birkett (2016) Crowdsourcing Old Norse Texts and Culture: The Challenge of International Community Collection. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], 28th International Conference of the Spanish Society for Medieval English Language and Literature (SELIM), Vigo, Spain , 15-SEP-16 - 17-SEP-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | Old Norse Poetry in Performance, Birkett, Tom (2016) Teaching Performance through the World-Tree Project’s Interactive Archive. [Invited Oral Presentation], Old Norse Poetry in Performance, University of Oxford , 24-JUN-16 - 25-JUN-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | IASIL 2016, Tom Birkett (2016) Chair and Organiser of the Session 'Digital Ireland: Transforming the Medieval Past'. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], IASIL 2016, UCC , 26-JUL-16 - 26-JUL-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | 51st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Thomas Birkett (2016) Riding the Blue Animal of the Billows: Sailing Viking Ships in Poetry and Practice. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], 51st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI , 11-MAY-16 - 22-MAY-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | 9th Conference of the ISFNR International Committee for Charms, Charmers and Charming, Thomas Birkett (2016) Chair of the Session Charms in Manuscripts - Anglo-Saxon, German and English Charms. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], 9th Conference of the ISFNR International Committee for Charms, Charmers and Charming, UCC , 06-MAY-16 - 07-MAY-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | Midland's Viking Symposium, Thomas Birkett and Roderick Dale (2016) Presentation of the World-Tree Project, display banners, exhibition stand and publicity materials. [Poster Presentation], Midland's Viking Symposium, Nottingham , 30-APR-16 - 30-APR-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | Digital Britain: New Approaches to the Early Middle Ages, Tom Birkett (2016) 'The Old Norse World-Tree Project: A New Approach to Community Collection in Britain and Beyond'. [Oral Presentation], Digital Britain: New Approaches to the Early Middle Ages, Harvard University , 25-MAR-16 - 26-MAR-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | MEMORI Seminar, Birkett, Tom (2016) “With the prow the capable woman carves the hollow wave” (Einarr Skúlason): Sailing Viking Ships in Poetry and Practice. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], MEMORI Seminar, Cardiff University , 11-FEB-16 - 11-FEB-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | Dublin Old English Study Day, Birkett, Tom (2016) World-Trees: The Value of Community Collection in Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse Studies. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Dublin Old English Study Day, UCD , 08-FEB-16 - 08-FEB-16. [Details] | |
| (2016) | Coláiste Choilm Eigse, Birkett, Tom (2016) Reading of Norse Poetry. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Coláiste Choilm Eigse, Coláiste Choilm, Ballincolig , 12-FEB-16 - 12-FEB-16. [Details] | |
| (2015) | Medieval Cultures Seminar, Birkett, Tom (2015) Inscription and Inheritance in Old English Poetry. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Medieval Cultures Seminar, Queen's University Belfast , 10-DEC-15 - 10-DEC-15. [Details] | |
| (2015) | School of English Research Seminar, UCC, Birkett, Tom (2015) From Viking Ships to Reading Lists: Connecting Cultures with the World-Tree Project. [Oral Presentation], School of English Research Seminar, UCC, Cork , 18-NOV-15 - 18-NOV-15. [Details] | |
| (2015) | Teachers of Old English in Britain and Ireland (TOEBI) 2015, Birkett, Tom (2015) 'The Value of Runes in Late Anglo-Saxon England'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Teachers of Old English in Britain and Ireland (TOEBI) 2015, Trinity College Dublin , 10-OCT-15 - 10-OCT-15. [Details] | |
| (2015) | After the Book: The New Production of Texts, Birkett, Tom (2015) A hero covered me with protecting boards, stretched skin over me; adorned me with gold. (Riddle 26, 'The Book') Presenting the (Exeter) Book: Then and Now. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], After the Book: The New Production of Texts, University College Cork , 30-JAN-15 - 30-JAN-15. [Details] | |
| (2015) | Leeds International Medieval Congress, Birkett, Tom (2015) All were scraped off, that were carved on: Rescripting the Past in the Poetic Edda. [Oral Presentation], Leeds International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds , 09-JUL-15 - 09-JUL-15. [Details] | |
| (2015) | Leeds International Medieval Congress, Birkett, Tom (2015) Chair of the panel 'Runic Reform: Manuscripts and Epigraphy, II'. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], Leeds International Medieval Congress, Leeds , 08-JUL-15 - 08-JUL-15. [Details] | |
| (2015) | Leeds International medieval Congress, Birkett, Tom (2015) Chair of the Panel 'Network Analysis and Medieval Sources'. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], Leeds International medieval Congress, University of Leeds , 08-JUL-15 - 08-JUL-15. [Details] | |
| (2014) | Languages, Myths and Finds Preparatory Master Classes, ASNAC, Cambridge, Birkett, Tom (2014) ‘Introduction to Viking heritage in Munster’. [Oral Presentation], Languages, Myths and Finds Preparatory Master Classes, ASNAC, Cambridge, ASNAC, Cambridge , 06-JAN-14 - 09-JAN-14. [Details] | |
| (2014) | Cork Culture Night: Ten Minute Tales, Birkett, Tom (2014) The Vikings: Early Rebels in Cork. [Oral Presentation], Cork Culture Night: Ten Minute Tales, UCC , 19-SEP-14 - 19-SEP-14. [Details] | |
| (2014) | Guest Speaker, Coláiste Choilm School, Ballincollig, Birkett, Tom (2014) ‘Sailing with the Sea Stallion from Glendalough’. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Guest Speaker, Coláiste Choilm School, Ballincollig, Ballincollig , 05-MAR-14 - 05-MAR-14. [Details] | |
| (2014) | Leeds International Medieval Congress, Birkett, Tom (2014) Viking 'proto-empires' and their heritage in the British Isles. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], Leeds International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds , 08-JUL-14 - 08-JUL-14. [Details] | |
| (2014) | Leeds International Medieval Congress, Birkett, Tom (2014) 'The writing’s on the wall: Daniel, Beowulf, and the limits of runic knowledge in Old English poetry'. [Oral Presentation], Leeds International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds , 09-JUL-14 - 09-JUL-14. [Details] | |
| (2014) | TOEBI 2014, Birkett, Tom (2014) Chairing the session 'Unlocking the Wordhoard: Opportunities for Old English outside the Academy'. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], TOEBI 2014, University of Nottingham , 18-OCT-14 - 18-OCT-14. [Details] | |
| (2014) | School of English Research Seminar, Tom Birkett (2014) The Vikings in Cork and Heritage in Motion. [Oral Presentation], School of English Research Seminar, UCC , 17-SEP-14 - 17-SEP-14. [Details] | |
| (2014) | From Eald to New: Translating Early Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century, Birkett, Tom (2014) Opening Address. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], From Eald to New: Translating Early Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century, University College Cork , 05-JUN-14 - 07-JUN-14. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Palaeography and Manuscript-based Research: Intensive Postgraduate Workshop, Birkett, Tom (2013) Marginalia in Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Palaeography and Manuscript-based Research: Intensive Postgraduate Workshop, UCC , 09-SEP-13 - 09-SEP-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Maths Meets Myth Workshop, Coventry University, Birkett, Tom (2013) 'Social Networks in the Sagas of Icelanders'. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Maths Meets Myth Workshop, Coventry University, Coventry University , 25-JUL-13 - 27-JUL-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Stasis in the Medieval World Conference, Institute of Medieval Archaeology, UCL, Birkett, Tom (2013) 'Stitched up? Cynewulf and Poetic Stasis'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Stasis in the Medieval World Conference, Institute of Medieval Archaeology, UCL, Institute of Medieval Archaeology, UCL , 13-APR-13 - 14-APR-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Medieval and Renaissance Society Lecture, UCC, Birkett, Tom (2013) ‘How to sail a Viking ship’. [Invited Oral Presentation], Medieval and Renaissance Society Lecture, UCC, University College Cork , 07-OCT-13 - 07-OCT-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Teachers of Old English in Britain and Ireland (TOEBI) Annual Conference, Birkett, T. (2013) 'The Clontarf Effect: Teaching Old English in the Year of the Vikings'. [Oral Presentation], Teachers of Old English in Britain and Ireland (TOEBI) Annual Conference, Queen's University, Belfast , 26-OCT-13 - 26-OCT-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Old Norse Evening Lecture Series, UCC, Birkett, Tom (2013) 'Gods and monsters: Old Norse mythology'. [Oral Presentation], Old Norse Evening Lecture Series, UCC, University College Cork , 22-JAN-13 - 22-JAN-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | School of English Research Seminar, UCC, Birkett, Tom (2013) ‘Runes and Revelation: A Reconsideration of Cynewulf’s Signatures’. [Oral Presentation], School of English Research Seminar, UCC, UCC , 06-MAR-13 - 06-MAR-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Midlands Viking Symposium, University of Nottingham, Birkett, Tom (2013) The Orkney Viking Heritage Project. [Conference Organising Committee Member], Midlands Viking Symposium, University of Nottingham, University of Nottingham , 27-APR-13 - 27-APR-13. [Details] | |
| (2012) | Old Norse Evening Lecture Series, UCC, Birkett, Tom (2012) ‘An introduction to Old Norse-Icelandic literature’. [Oral Presentation], Old Norse Evening Lecture Series, UCC, University College Cork , 05-DEC-12 - 05-DEC-12. [Details] | |
| (2012) | Oxbridge Academic Program Guest Lectures, Birkett, Tom (2012) 'A Brief History of Oxford: From the Vikings to the Present Day'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Oxbridge Academic Program Guest Lectures, The Oxford Union, University of Oxford , 10-JUL-12 - 10-JUL-12. [Details] | |
| (2011) | The Woruldhord Project, Public Launch, Birkett, Tom; Caughey, Anna; Lee, Stuart (2011) 'Project Woruldhord'. [Invited Oral Presentation], The Woruldhord Project, Public Launch, Oxford University Computing Services , 09-MAR-11 - 09-MAR-11. [Details] | |
| (2011) | International Medieval Congress (IMC) Leeds, Birkett, Tom (2011) ‘Correcting the corrector? A runic note in the margins of the Old English Bede'. [Oral Presentation], International Medieval Congress (IMC) Leeds, Leeds , 11-JUL-11 - 14-JUL-11. [Details] | |
| (2011) | Old Norse at Oxford Research Seminar (ONORS), Birkett, Tom (2011) ‘A shapely script: Ornamental textuality in the Norwegian Rune Poem’. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Old Norse at Oxford Research Seminar (ONORS), University of Oxford , 14-JUN-11 - 07-JUN-11. [Details] | |
| (2010) | Old Norse Masterclass and Conference, Birkett, Tom (2010) ‘Re-scripting the past: The Runes of Sigrdrífumál’. [Oral Presentation], Old Norse Masterclass and Conference, Selje, Norway , 11-APR-10 - 15-APR-10. [Details] | |
| (2010) | Faculty of English Graduate Conference, University of Oxford, Birkett, Tom (2010) ‘An abundance of errors: Modern abuses of the runic script’. [Oral Presentation], Faculty of English Graduate Conference, University of Oxford, University of Oxford , 05-JUN-09 - 05-JUN-09. [Details] | |
| (2010) | Medieval English Research Seminar, University of Oxford, Birkett, Tom (2010) ‘Runic abbreviations and the alysendlic rune: Unlocking Anglo-Saxon runic practice through Bede’s story of Imma.’. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Medieval English Research Seminar, University of Oxford, Faculty of English, University of Oxford , 27-JAN-10 - 27-JAN-10. [Details] | |
| (2010) | International Symposium on Runes and Runic Inscriptions, 'Runes in Context', Birkett, Tom (2010) ‘The ‘alysendlecan’ rune: Runic abbreviations in their immediate literary context. [Oral Presentation], International Symposium on Runes and Runic Inscriptions, 'Runes in Context', Oslo , 09-AUG-10 - 13-AUG-10. [Details] | |
| (2009) | St Cross Colloquium: Advancing Global Conversations, Birkett, Tom (2009) ‘The Misappropriation of the Runic Script’. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], St Cross Colloquium: Advancing Global Conversations, St Cross College, Oxford , 05-MAY-09 - 05-MAY-09. [Details] | |
| (2009) | Aspects and Approaches, Medium Ævum / SSMLL Conference, Birkett, Tom (2009) 'Fooling around with runes: Scribal antics or runic edification in the Exeter Book?'. [Oral Presentation], Aspects and Approaches, Medium Ævum / SSMLL Conference, Oxford , 03-APR-09 - 03-APR-09. [Details] | |
| (2009) | AHRC-funded Masterclass and Conference, Birkett, Tom (2009) 'Manipulating Script: The Power of Runes in the Sagas'. [Oral Presentation], AHRC-funded Masterclass and Conference, Balestrand , 08-APR-09 - 11-APR-09. [Details] | |
| (2009) | ‘Advancing Global Conversations’, St Cross, Oxford, Birkett, Tom (2009) Convenor and co-chair of an interdisciplinary lecture series. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], ‘Advancing Global Conversations’, St Cross, Oxford, St Cross College, Oxford , 15-SEP-08 - 15-JUL-10. [Details] |
Committees
| Committee | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Community Engagement Committee | Member / School Representative | 2022 / | |
| Curriculum Review Sub-Committee (English) | Member | 2022 / | |
| Chair of School Graduate Studies Committee (SGSC) | Chair | 2019 / 2019 | |
| School Graduate Studies Committee (SGSC) | Member | 2018 / | |
| Chair of Second Year Committee (School of English) | Chair | 2018 / | |
| Teaching and Learning Committee (School of English) | Member | 2018 / | |
| College Academic Development Committee (CADC) | School Representative | 2017 / 2018 | |
| TOEBI (Teachers of Old English in Britain and Ireland) | Elected committee member | 2013 / | |
| MA Medieval to Renaissance Sub-committee | Member | 2012 / | |
| English First Arts Reform Group | 2013 / | ||
| English Second Arts Committee | Member | 2012 / | |
| The Old English Poetry Project (OEPP) | Editorial Board | 2014 / |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| University College Cork | Temporary (Full time) Lecturer in English | 01-SEP-12 / 01-MAY-14 | |
| Pembroke College, Oxford | Non-Stipendiary Lecturer in Old English | 01-DEC-11 / 30-JUN-12 | |
| Faculty of English, University of Oxford | Research Assistant (to Prof. Heather O’Donoghue) | 01-JUN-10 / 01-JUN-12 | |
| Oxford Academic Program | Teaching Faculty | 01-JUL-12 / 01-AUG-12 | |
| Oxford University Computing Services, Oxford | Research Officer (The Old English Woruldhord Project) | 01-OCT-10 / 30-MAR-11 | |
| Faculty of English, University of Oxford | Old Norse Tutor | 01-DEC-10 / 30-MAR-11 | |
| Various Constituent Colleges of the University of Oxford | Tutor of Medieval English | 01-SEP-09 / 01-DEC-11 | |
| Faculty of English, University of Oxford | Editor / Digital Text Developer (Early Medieval English Coursepack) | 09-SEP-11 / 01-JUN-12 |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | University of Oxford | PhD | English | |
| 2020 | University College Cork | Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | Education | |
| 2008 | University of Oxford | MASTERS | M.St. English (650-1550) | |
| 2007 | University of Leeds | BA (Hons) | English Language and Literature |
Languages
| Language | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old English |
Outreach Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
Early Career Researcher on the AHRC-funded Languages, Myths and Finds Project. Cork has been chosen as one of five locations across the UK and Ireland to be investigated as part of an exciting AHRC-funded skills development programme, Languages, Myths and Finds: Translating Norse and Viking Cultures for the 21st Century. I will be working alongside Dr Christina Lee from Nottingham University and a group of PhD students to foster partnerships with local museums, schools, community groups and tourism officers, and to develop community-specific heritage resources (including a website and information booklet for museums in the Munster area). Not only is the Project linked with the 2014 Viking Exhibition in the British Museum, but it also coincides with the 1000 year anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf. http://languagesmythsfinds.ac.uk/ | |
Early Career Researcher on the Orkney Viking Heritage Project. Ongoing responsibility for developing and maintaining the website for this AHRC-funded project, which aims to extend academic research about the Viking diaspora and its tangible and non-tangible heritage in the British Isles. The travelling exhibition came to UCC in September 2013. Orkney Project Website | |
Co-ordinator: Old Norse Evening Lecture Series, University College Cork (2012/2013) A series of public lectures on Old Norse mythology and literature at UCC. | |
Text Developer on the Online Early Medieval English (EME) Coursepack, producing hypertext editions of the core texts studied for Moderations exams at Oxford. https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/access/content/group/5425519f-7550-410e-a7e7-521279f5bffa/maldon.html | |
Research Officer on the Woruldhord Project, hosted by Oxford University Computing Services. This is the first web-based community collection database dedicated to the medieval (and specifically Anglo-Saxon) period, providing publicly-accessible resources for teaching and learning. http://projects.oucs.ox.ac.uk/woruldhord/ | |
The Sea Stallion Viking Ship. I joined the crew of the Viking ship 'Sea Stallion' in the summer of 2013 on their Scandinavian sailing and heritage tour, organised by the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum. This not only gave me a great insight into how a Viking ship was sailed and life on-board conducted, but it also gave me direct experience of heritage engagement at an international level. I had an interview published in the Irish Times about this experience, and have conducted several invited lectures on Viking ships (and depictions of ships in Norse literature) in the past year. http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/index.php?id=1246&L=1 | |
School Workshops, Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig. During 2014 I visited the school twice, once as an invited speaker talking about Viking ships, and once as part of the LMF team, giving workshops on the Vikings in Ireland. | |
Contributor to 'Ten Minute Tales', the School of English initiative for Culture Night (organised by Dr Edel Semple). |
Journal Activities
| Journal | Role | To / From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scandinavian Studies | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Postmedieval: A Journal Of Medieval Cultural Studies | Peer Reviewer | 01-OCT-21 - 31-DEC-21 | |
| Neuphilologische Mitteilungen | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Fragments | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Scandia | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Nottingham Medieval Studies | Peer Reviewer | - |
Other Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
Peer reviewer for the Swiss National Science Foundation (Project funding in humanities and social sciences) | |
Digital Badge in UDL (awarded by the National Forum for the Development of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education) | |
Peer Reviewer for Leverhulme Trust (Emeritus Publication Grant) (2023) | |
Peer reviewer for Boydell & Brewer's Medievalism series | |
Peer reviewer for Routledge's Research in Medieval Studies series | |
Panelist for the live radio broadcast 'Talking History' on the subject of 'Norse Myths' (Sun, 30 September 2018) | |
Short live interview on Newstalk's 'The Hard Shoulder', discussing the hate symbols on display in the US Capitol attacks (12/01/21) | |
Organising the international IRC-funded conference and network 'From Eald to New: Translating Early Medieval Poetry for the 21st Century', College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, UCC | |
Refereeing for the journal Fragments: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Ancient & Medieval Pasts at the University of Michigan; Scandia: Journal of Medieval Norse Studies; Nottingham Medieval Studies; and Neuphilologische Mitteilungen | |
Invited member of the Leverhulme-funded 'Maths Meets Myth' network, collaborating with colleagues in Coventry on an investigation of social networks in the Icelandic Sagas and the broader application of mathematics to the study of literature. | |
Elected member of the TOEBI (Teachers of Old English in Britain and Ireland) Business Committee, representing UCC within this interantional organisation. |
Teaching Activities
Teaching Interests
I am currently coordinator of five modules in the Department of English, including a dedicated MA module on Old English Literature. I completed the Developing Teaching and Learning (DLT) training at the University of Oxford, gaining recognition as an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and I completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at UCC in 2020. I also have CELTA certification for teaching English as a foreign language to adult learners, and a Digital Badge in Universal Design for Learning awarded by the National Forum for the Development of Teaching and Learning. I currently teach on the following courses:EN1011: Literature in Time (coordinator, co-taught)
EN2003: Beyond Beowulf: Old English Heroic Poetry (seminar convenor)
EN2012: Old English Language (coordinator, fully online)
EN3015: Of Monsters and Men: Old and Early English Literature (coordinator)
EN3006: Poetry of the Vikings (seminar convener)
EN6053: Old English Literature to c. 1200 (MA module, coordinator)
EN6052: New Histories of the Book: Theories and Practices of Earlier Writing (coordinator; co-taught)
EN6017 Dissertation in English (13 dissertations supervised to completion)
I regularly supervise PhDs in the area of Old English literature, Old Norse literature and mythology, and book history, and I am contributing a module on Norse myth for the Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) department in Cork (AD1104).
Recent Postgraduates
| Graduation Year | Student Name | Institution | Degree Type | Thesis Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Lisa Arthursen (MA) | UCC | Considering Genre-Specific Classification of the Exeter Book Riddles (MA thesis) | ||
| 2023 | Mitch Usher (MA) | University College Cork | Women in Medieval Literature (MA thesis) | ||
| 2020 | Patricia O'Connor (PhD) | University College Cork | PHD | Retrieving the Textual Environment of the "Old English Bede": A Digital Remediation of Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 41 | |
| 2019 | Tess Breslin (MA) | UCC | The threefold production of space in Beowulf (MA Thesis) | ||
| 2019 | Jyoti Anand Foster-Miles (MA) | UCC | The Monstrous Feminine in Old English Hagiography (MA thesis) | ||
| 2016 | James Daly (MA) | UCC | Interpreting Oral Performativity in Old English Poetry (MA Thesis) | ||
| 2018 | Rosemary Kelly (MA) | UCC | A Reassessment of Masculinity in the Beowulf Manuscript (MA Thesis) | ||
| 2018 | Niamh Kehoe (PhD) | UCC | PHD | Humour in Vernacular Hagiography from the Tenth to the Thirteenth Century in England | |
| 2018 | Alison Killilea (PhD) | UCC | PHD | Translating the Past: An Analysis of Beowulf’s Reception History through the figures of Grendel and Grendel’s mother | |
| 2015 | Rebecca French | UCC | Space, Voice and Violence: The Chronological Denigration of Female Experience in Three Iterations of the Apollonius Tale (MA Thesis) | ||
| 2015 | Laura Creedon (MA) | UCC | Translating Conflict: The Reception and Reworking of Old English Battle Poetry (MA Thesis) | ||
| 2013 | Dave Scanlon (MA) | UCC | Violent Humour in and around the Beowulf Manuscript (MA Thesis) | ||
| 2013 | Lenora Patricia Murphy (MA) | UCC | A Study of the Old English RIddles of the Exeter Book in Three Parts (MA Thesis, co-supervised) | ||
| 2013 | Maik Hildebrandt (MA) | UCC | Apollonius in its Contexts (MA Thesis) | ||
| 2014 | Patricia O'Connor (MA) | UCC | The Thematic and Contextual Affinities between the Old English Bede and its Old English Marginalia in Cambridge Corpus Christi College, 41 (MA Thesis) |
Current Postgraduate Students
| Student | Degree Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Fylan Kevin Joseph | Doctoral Degree | |
| Mc Auliffe Robyn Anne | Doctoral Degree |
Research Information
Internal Collaborators
| Name | Institute | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Roderick Dale | University of Stavanger | IRELAND |
External Collaborators
| Name | Organisation / Institute | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Kirsty March-Lyons | Independent Scholar | IRELAND | |
| Dr Christina Lee | University of Nottingham | UNITED KINGDOM |