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School of Modern Languages & Cultures: Department of German

Staff in the Department of German

Go to the MLAC staff pages.

Professor Nicholas Saul, BA, MA, PhD Cantab

Telephone: +44 (0) 191 33 43457
Fax: +44 (0) 191 33 43421
Room number: A43, Elvet Riverside I

Contact Professor Nicholas Saul (email at n.d.b.saul@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

My research ranges from the literature and culture of the eighteenth to that of the twentieth century. It has always been based on the conviction that literary texts are embedded in intertextual and interdiscursive contexts, and has therefore always operated between the disciplines. Having worked for some time in problems of secularisation (generic contamination, discursive collisions), I then worked on the problems of metaphorical cognition in literary and philosophical discourse, on the body in literature, on the liminality of death, and on literary value. I recently completed a book on the presence of Romanies in nineteenth-century German anthropology and literature. Presently I am writing a book on German literary Darwinisms 1859-2008 and editing a volume of Bölsche's writings on Darwinism for the new Wilhelm Bölsche collected works (Weidler Verlag). In this context, I am also an Affiliate of the Centre for Medical Humanities (http://www.dur.ac.uk/cmh/) at Durham.

In the wider University context, I serve as an Academic Member of the University Council (http://www.dur.ac.uk/committees/council/membership/current/professor_nicholas_saul/), as Chair of St Mary's College Council, as a member of the Senate Advisory Committee on Ceremonies and Honorary Degrees, and as a member of the University Finance and General Purposes Committee.

I was a Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung from 1986-1991, was External Examiner for undergraduate degrees at Aston and Nottingham Universities, served most recently in this capacity at Trinity College Dublin, and currently serve as External at the University of Oxford.

Research Supervision

I have successfully supervised research students at MA and PhD levels on themes ranging from faith and thought in Matthias Claudius and F.H. Jacobi, to the problem of subjectivity in E.T.A. Hoffmann, gender anthropology in Friedrich von Hardenberg (Novalis), the presentation of masculinity in Karoline von Günderrode, colonialism and identity in German travel writing of the late C19, and myth and technology in Theodor Storm.

I should be glad to supervise new students to MA or PhD level in any area and author of the literature and thought of the Romantic/Classical period, nineteenth-century realisms, and the Jahrhundertwende/Modernism. Themes of current particular interest include anthropology and literature, science and literature (especially literary Darwinisms), and secularisation (especially spiritualism).

Research Groups

  • Literature/History/Theory

Research Interests

  • German Orientalism, especially German-Romany relations
  • Intertextuality and interdiscursivity
  • Modern German literature, especially Friedrich von Hardenberg (Novalis), Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Wilhelm Jensen, Carl Hauptmann and Wilhelm Bölsche
  • Representation of death in literature

Indicators of Esteem

  • 2011: Präsidium, Internationale Novalis-Gesellschaft: Member, Council of the International Novalis Society; Co-Editor, Jahrbuch der Internationalen Novalis-Gesellschaft
  • 2011: Research Excellence Framework (REF) of Hefce: Member of REF Sub-Panel D28 Modern Languages /German
  • 2010: External Assessor: Wissenschaftsrat, Bewertungsgruppe, Schiller-Nationalmuseum und Deutsches Literaturarchiv, Marbach
  • 2009: Editorial Board, PEGS: Member, Editorial Board, Publications of the English Goethe Society
  • 2009: External Periodic Reviewer: School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Royal Holloway College, University of London
  • 2008: Member, University Council:
  • 2007: External Assessor: Wissenschaftsrat, Bewertungsgruppe, Schiller-Nationalmuseum und Deutsches Literaturarchiv, Marbach
  • 2007: External Subject Reviewer: External Subject Reviewer (German): School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, Trinity College Dublin
  • 2007: Member: AHRC Peer Review College
  • 2006: External Teaching Quality Reviewer: for German Department, Birkbeck College
  • 2003: Member, Council: of the English Goethe Society

Selected Publications

Books: authored

Books: edited

Essays in edited volumes

  • 2012 '“[I]m dunkeln Drange immer auf ein Ziel los”. Wilhelm Bölsche als Darwin-Biograph', in Susen, Gerd-Hermann & Wack, Edith (eds.), “Was wir im Verstande ausjäten, kommt im Traume wieder”. Wilhelm Bölsche 1861-1939, Königshausen & Neumann, pp. 343-359
  • 2012 'The Dark Side of Modernity: Wilhelm Bölsche, Darwinism, Evolutionary Aesthetics and Spiritualism', in Carroll,Jerome, Giles,Steve & Oergel, Maike (eds.), Aesthetics and Modernity from Schiller to the Frankfurt School, Peter Lang, pp. 233-253
  • 2012 'Wilhelm Jensen and Wilhelm Raabe: Literary Value, Evolutionary Aesthetics and Competition in the Marketplace', in Schofield, Ben & Woodford, Charlotte (eds.), The Late Nineteenth-Century ‘Bestseller’, Camden House, pp. 58-76
  • 2011 '“Once in Human Nature, a Thing Cannot be Driven Out” Evolutionary Aesthetics in Wilhelm Jensen’s The Legacy of Blood (1869). An Early Response to Darwin', in Saul, Nicholas & James, Simon J. (eds.), The Evolution of Literature. Legacies of Darwin in European Cultures, pp. 239-253
  • 2011 'Die Halbschlafbilder als Öffnung zur terra incognita des Lebens bei Julius Hart: Media in vita', in Pfotenhauer, Helmut & Paulin, Roger (eds.), Die Halbschlafbilder in der Literatur, den Künsten und den Wissenschaften, Könighausen & Neumann, pp. 153-163
  • 2011 'Ektoplasma, Kunst und Begehren. Der spiritistische Roman, der Körper und die moderne Befindlichkeit bei Carl du Prel, Wilhelm Bölsche und Artur Dinter', in Arndt, Christiane & Brodersen, Silke (eds.), Organismus und Gesellschaft. Der Körper in der deutschsprachigen Literatur des Realismus und Naturalismus (1830-1930), transcript, pp. 179-210
  • 2011 (co-authored with James, Simon J.) 'Introduction: The Evolution of Literature', in Saul,Nicholas & James, Simon J. (eds.), The Evolution of Literature. Legacies of Darwin in European Cultures, Rodopi, pp. 9-18
  • 2010 'Introduction to German Romanticism: the National Context', in Prickett, Stephen (ed.), Reader in European Romanticism, Continuum, pp. 37-41
  • 2009 'Karl Gutzkow. Literatur zwischen Religion und Politik. Probleme der Säkularisation', in Pfleiderer, Georg, Bodenheimer, Alfred & von Jagow, Bettina (eds.), Literatur im Religionswandel der Moderne: Studien zur christlichen und jüdischen Literaturgeschichte, Theologischer Verlag, pp. 109-125
  • 2009 'Love, Liebestod, and Death in German Romanticism', in Saul, Nicholas (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to German Romanticism, Cambridge University Press.
  • 2008 '“.ohne Mischung kein Fortgang”. Repräsentation der Zigeuner bei Carl Hauptmann zwischen Anthropologie, Rassenhygiene und Kunst', in Uerlings, Herbert & Patrut, Iulia-Karin (eds.), Repräsentation – Inklusion – Exklusion. Zur Semantisierung der ‘Zigeuner’, Peter Lang, pp. 231-246
  • 2008 ''Landplage'. Draculas Zigeuner und die Anthropologie des Zigeuners im 19. Jahrhundert', in Begemann, Christian, Herrmann, Britta & Neumeyer Harald (Hg.) (eds.), Dracula unbound: Kulturwissenschaftliche Lektüren des Vampirs, Rombach, pp. 123-137
  • 2008 'Das Unbewußte und die Bildbeschreibung bei Wilhelm Jensen', in Schneider, Sabine (ed.), Die Dinge und die Zeichen. Dimensionen des 'Realistischen' in der Erzähliteratur des 19. Jahrhunderts, Königshausen & Neumann, pp. 333-346
  • 2006 '“. die schönste Menschengestalt” The Nature, Culture and Ethnography of Stifter’s Gypsies', in Minden, Michael, Swales, Martin & Weiss-Sussex, Godela (eds.), History, Text, Value. Essays on Adalbert Stifter. Londoner Symposium 2003. Jahrbuch des Adalbert-Stifter-Institutes des Landes Oberösterreich, Land Oberösterreich, pp. 129-140
  • 2006 'Fragmentästhetik, Freitod und Individualität in der deutschen Romantik. Zu den Morbiditätsvorwürfen', in Feilchenfeldt, Konrad, Hudson-Wiedenmann, Ursula Mix, York-Gothardt & Saul, Nicholas (eds.), Romantik und Aufklärung. Neue Perspektiven der Forschung. Festschrift zu Ehren Roger Paulins zum 65. Geburtstag, Königshausen & Neumann, pp. 232-251
  • 2004 ''Poëtisirung d[es] Körpers'. Der Poesiebegriff Friedrich von Hardenbergs (Novalis) und die anthropologische Tradition', in Uerlings, Herbert (ed.), Novalis - Poesie und Poetik 3. Fachtagung der Internationalen Novalis-Gesellschaft, Niemeyer, pp. 151-169
  • 2004 'Half a Gypsy: The Case of Ezra Jennings in Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone (1868)', in Saul, Nicholas & Tebbutt, Susan (eds.), The Role of the Romanies. Images and Self-Images of 'Gypsies'/Romanies in European Cultures, Liverpool University Press, pp. 119-130
  • 2004 (co-authored with Tebbutt, Susan) 'Introduction: The Role of the Romanies in European Cultures', in Saul, Nicholas & Tebbutt, Susan (eds.), The Role of the Romanies: Images and Counter-Images of 'Gypsies'/ Romanies in European Cultures, Liverpool University Press, pp. 1-11
  • 2004 'The Reception of German Romanticism in the Twentieth Century', in Mahoney, Dennis F. (ed.), The Literature of German Romanticism, Camden House, pp. 327-359
  • 2004 'Zum Zusammenhang von Hebbels früher Erzähl- und Reiseprosa: Kunst, Leben und Tod im Übergang zur Moderne', in (ed.), Hebbel-Jahrbuch, pp. 72-89
  • 2003 'Keller, Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe', in Hutchinson, Peter (ed.), Landmarks in German Short Prose, Peter Lang, pp. 125-140
  • 2002 'Goethe and Colonialism: The Wanderjahre and Cooper', in Boyle, N & Guthrie, J (eds.), Goethe and the English-speaking World. Essays from the Cambridge Symposium for his 250th Birthday, Camden House, pp. 85-98
  • 2002 'Goethe the Writer and Literary History', in Sharpe, L (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Goethe, Cambridge University Press, pp. 23-41
  • 2002 'Introduction. German Literature and Philosophy', in Saul, Nicholas (ed.), German Philosophy and Literature 1700-1990, Cambridge University Press, pp. 1-12
  • 2002 'The Pursuit of the Subject: Literature as Critic and Perfecter of Philosophy, 1790-1830', in Saul, Nicholas. (ed.), Philosophy and German Literature, 1700-1990, Cambridge University Press, pp. 57-101
  • 2001 ''…des irdischen Leibes / Hohen Sinn': Modernity, Corporeality and the Trace of Transcendence in Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg)', in Görner, R. (ed.), Traces of Transcendency = Spuren des Transzendenten Religious Motifs in German Literature and Thought = Spuren des Transzendenten, Iudicium, pp. 109-122
  • 2001 (co-authored with Tebbutt, Susan) 'Gypsies, Utopias and Counter-Cultures in Modern German Culture', in Giles, Steve & Oergel, Maike (eds.), Counter-Cultures in Germany and Central Europe. From Sturm und Drang to Baader-Meinhof, Peter Lang, pp. 43-60
  • 1999 'Body, Language, and Body Language: Thresholds in Heinrich von Kleist', in Saul, Nicholas, Steuer, Daniel & Möbus, Frank (eds.), Schwellen: Germanistische Erkundungen einer Metapher, Königshausen & Neumann, pp. 315-332
  • 1999 (co-authored with Möbus, Frank) 'Zur Einführung: Schwelle. Metapher und Begriff', in Saul, Nicholas, Steuer, Daniel & Möbus, Frank (eds.), Schwellen. Germanistische Erkundungen einer Metapher, Königshausen & Neumann, pp. 1-7
  • 1998 'Experimentelle Selbsterfahrung und Selbstdestruktion: Anatomie des Ichs in der literarischen Moderne', in Vietta, Silvio & Kemper, Dirk (eds.), Ästhetische Moderne in Europa. Grundzüge und Problemzusammenhänge seit der Romantik, Fink, pp. 321-342
  • 1998 'Leiche und Humor. Clemens Brentanos Schauspielfragment Zigeunerin und der Patriotismus um 1813', in Saul, Nicholas. (ed.), Jahrbuch des Freien Deutschen Hochstifts, Gebr. Knauer, pp. 111-137
  • 1997 'Aesthetic Humanism. German Literature 1790-1830', in Watanabe-O'Kelly, Helen (ed.), The Cambridge History of German Literature, Cambridge University Press, pp. 202-272; 548-555
  • 1995 'Das Zweifelhafte menschlicher Verdienste: Arnims Faust-Gestalten', in Möbus, Frank, Schmidt-Möbus, Friederike & Unverfehrt, Gert (eds.), Faust Annäherung an Einen Mythos, Wallstein Verlag, pp. 109-112
  • 1995 'The Romantic Era', in Wells, David, Price, Glanville, Parkinson, Stephen, Lindon, John & Mayo, Peter (eds.), The Year's Work in Modern Language Studies, Modern Humanities Research Association, pp. 823-878
  • 1994 'The Romantic Era', in Wells, David, Price, Glanville, Parkinson, Stephen, Lindon, John & Mayo, Peter (eds.), The Year's Work in Modern Language Studies, Modern Humanities Research Association, pp. 776-824
  • 1993 'Helios und Augustinus. Zacharias Werners späte Goethe-Kritik', in Skrine, Peter, Turner, Rosemary & West, Jonathan (eds.), Connections. Essays in Honour of Eda Sagarra on the Occasion of her 60th Birthday, Verlag Hans-Dieter Heinz, Akademischer Verlag Stuttgart, pp. 239-252
  • 1993 'The Romantic Era', in Wells, David, Price, Glanville, Parkinson, Stephen, Lindon, John & Mayo, Peter (eds.), The Year's Work in Modern Language Studies, Modern Humanities Research Association, pp. 735-773
  • 1991 'Nachwort', in (ed.), Die Deutsche Literarische Romantik Und Die Wissenschaften, Institute of Grmanic Studies, pp. 306-318
  • 1991 'Predigt und predigende Rede bei Clemens Brentano', in (ed.), Die deutsche literarische Romantik und die Wissenschaften, Institute of Germanic Studies, pp. 125-155
  • 1990 'Novalis', in Killy, Walter (ed.), Literaturlexikon. Autoren und Werke deutscher Sprache, Bertelsmann, pp. 471-476
  • 1986 'Friedrich II und die religiösen Strömungen seiner Zeit', in Ziechmann, J. (ed.), Panorama der Fridericianischen Zeit. Friedrich der Große und seine Epoche. Ein Handbuch, pp. 62-67
  • 1985 'Hofmannsthal and Novalis', in Carr, Gilbert J. & Sagarra, Eda (eds.), Fin de Siècle Vienna proceedings of the Second Irish Symposium in Austrian Studies held at Trinity College, Dublin 28 February-2 March 1985, Trinity College, pp. 26-62

Journal papers: academic

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Grants Awarded

  • 2011: British Academy Overseas Conference Grant
  • 2011: MHRA Conference Grant (shared)
  • 2009: British Academy Small Research Grant
  • 2008: British Academy Conference Grant
  • 2007: Institute for Germanic and Romance Studies, Book Grant, Gypsies and Orientalism
  • 2004: British Academy Conference Grant [shared]
  • 2004: British Academy Overseas Conference Grant
  • 2004: British Academy Senior Research Fellowship
  • 2004: Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes Award
  • 2003: British Academy Overseas Conference Grant
  • 2002: British Academy Small Research Grant