The Department of Linguistic and Literary Studies at the University of Padua, Italy, is seeking three postdoctoral research associates (Medieval Latin, Byzantine and Medieval Italian Literature) to work on the ERC funded project “SIQILLIYA: Debunking Eurocentric Literary History” led by Professor Nicola Carpentieri. The project aims to address the complexities of medieval Sicilian literature by studying the totality of the court poetry produced in Sicily in Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Italian between the 10th and the 13th cc. The project thus promises to shed light on what amounts to a black hole in literary history: it will document over four centuries of cultural interactions, and allow us to fully assess the role of Sicily's many cultures in the rise of the Italian lyric.
The postholders will conduct individual and collaborative research in Medieval Greek poetry, focussing on Sicily. They will produce a new edition of the relevant portion of Sicilian medieval poetry (Latin, Greek or Italian) and take care of the inspection, acquisition, collation and edition of all relevant manuscript and printed materials needed. They will contribute to the project’s main goal to produce an alternative narrative to “Le Origini” (the origins of Italian literature), one that will take into account the many poetic traditions of medieval Sicily.
Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience:
Essential
- PhD in Greek, Latin or Italian Studies (depending on application), chronologically focused on the medieval period
- Expertise in two or more of these languages: medieval Arabic, Greek, Latin, Italian, Hebrew
- Expertise in manuscript acquisition, collation, editing
- A portfolio of relevant, peer-reviewed publications in print or forthcoming
- Proficiency in English
Desirable
- Prior participation in a collaborative research project
- Proficiency in Italian
- Experience travelling to specialist archives and research libraries
- An existing network with other scholars who might provide advice or participate in organised events
- Experience in the organisation of conferences, seminars, and/or workshops
- Skills in palaeography, papyrology, and/or codicology
Deadline to apply: 20 June 2023
Interview date: 26 June 2023
For further information, contact Prof. Nicola Carpentieri at: nicola.carpentieri@unipd.it