More about Karen

I am currently completing my PhD in English literature at University of London, Royal Holloway. My thesis, 'The Transformation of the Text: the Book History of Samuel Richardson's Pamela' (1740), explores illustrations, book bindings, reading spaces, and publishing practices. 


This focus on the physical and visual qualities of the book and book illustration stems from a lifelong passion for art and literature. I spent the majority of my blissful childhood reading, painting, and colouring and I dreamt of being a writer.  As an undergraduate at the University of Virginia (2007) studying both English Literature and Art History, I became interested in book illustration; it allowed for a simultaneous indulgence in the verbal and the visual. 


It was not until I began my first Master's degree at the University of Durham, UK (2008) in Victorian and Romantic Studies that I realized how fully an interdisciplinary approach enriched my academic pursuits. After the completion of my dissertation entitled 'Pathos and Poverty: Henry Mayhew and William Powell Frith's London Poor,' which compared verbal and visual expressions of mid-Victorian poverty, I wanted to further develop my art history and art handling skills. I moved to London for a Master's course in Fine and Decorative Arts (2009). 


The course at Christie's had a considerably more vocational approach and I believe this has complemented my traditional academic background. While researching possible dissertation topics, I stumbled across the University of Michigan website for illustrations of Pamela (see link) and immediately knew that there was a rich body of material for further exploration. We were instructed to approach our dissertations from the viewpoint of a curator and I considered the complications of creating an exhibition based mainly on book illustrations. The more I researched Pamela, the more I realized that there were so many unexplored paths in Richardson studies. And so, in September 2009, risking the stigma of being an eternal student, I began my PhD at the University of London, Royal Holloway with the intention of creating an exciting book history of the novel. 


The past three years of research are now being translated into the final draft of a thesis. The arguments have changed, my view point has shifted, I have gone down dead-ends, up to Cheshire and Derbyshire in search of untouched Pamelas, and spent countless hours collating, but as my time as a student draws to a close, I can confidently say my findings contribute new research to Pamela studies and to book history as a discipline. 


Looking back on my academic career, it appears to be a smooth progression from childhood loves to professional passion. It seems inevitable that a young girl with a penchant for Henry James, Trollope, Dickens, and Thackery, and who loved Reynolds and Gainsborough would eventually call London her home; but, during all these years as a student, it always seemed to be small twists of fate that guided me.    


As I prepare to call London my home for the next few years and begin pursuing the possibility of a career in the art auction world, I eagerly await fate's next exciting twist.