Katy Mortimer

Why Royal Holloway?

I chose to undertake doctoral research at Royal Holloway because it is a centre of excellence for both the study of the crusades as well as medieval history more broadly. Because my research is inter-disciplinary, exploring different locations across the ‘medieval west’, I wanted to work under the supervision of Professor Andrew Jotischky due to his expertise not only in crusades studies, but also medieval Europe and the Mediterranean. Beyond this, London is one of the UK’s hubs of academic activity, and studying at Royal Holloway has afforded me the unique opportunity to access numerous libraries and museums, to attend various research seminars, and also to be on the committee for the London Society for Medieval Studies. Finally, as an AHRC Techne DTP researcher, I have had the chance to meet with numerous arts and humanities scholars from different disciplines, and so have broadened my network and connected with others outside my immediate discipline – all of which has informed my research and helped me to develop my career.

My research

My PhD examines how authors in medieval Europe shaped how they represented diplomatic interaction between Christians and Muslims within the context of ‘crusading’. The project utilises narratological theory – the study of narrative and narrative structure – as a lens through which to examine medieval texts, and seeks to make an important contribution to debates concerning the so-called ‘clash of civilisations’ between ‘Islam and the west’. My thesis will add nuance to the discussion as this is the first time narrative theory has been utilised within this framework. The methodology approaches texts holistically by focusing on four key sources or authors in their entirety, and considers how different authors across space and time explored the topic of interfaith diplomacy alongside other key themes. The thesis shows that discomfort, interest and agenda varied across texts, and that the presentation of Christian-Muslim diplomacy took of different roles within each narrative.

More information about my research is available via PURE.