Hannah Victoria Johnson
Junior Lecturer
- Department: Comparative Literature and English
See Courses >>
Professor Johnson began teaching at AUP in Fall 2024 upon completion of their PhD in linguistics and medieval literature at Sorbonne Université. Prior to this, they completed two masters degrees in medieval literature: the first from the University of York (2019) which focused on Old and Middle English, Latin, and Anglo-Norman languages and literature; the second from Sorbonne Université (2021) which focused on French, Latin, and Germanic languages and literature. They completed their BA in comparative literature at AUP (2018), where they first became interested in theoretical approaches in gender and sexuality studies that have remained at the heart of the research interests ever since.
Their current research projects combine cognitive linguistics and queer theory to show how the affective discourse in twelfth and thirteenth century devotional poems can be read as ‘lesbian’. They are especially interested in using multidisciplinary and comparative approaches to highlight the ways in which historic literature can speak to modern sensibilities and emotive experiences.
Their research areas and areas of expertise include:
- cognitive linguistics,
- comparative literature,
- medieval literature,
- mystical devotions,
- gender studies,
- queer studies,
- medieval German,
- Latin
Education/Degrees
2024
PhD in linguistics and medieval literature – Sorbonne Université – supervisors: Delphine Pasques and Diane Watt
Funded by « Initiative genre »
2021
Master 2 : lettres médiévales – Sorbonne Université (Jointly organised with: Sorbonne Nouvelle, École Nationale des Chartes, École Normale Supérieur)
2020
Master 1 : lettres médiévales – Sorbonne Université (Jointly organised with: Sorbonne Nouvelle, École Nationale des Chartes, École Normale Supérieur)
2019
MA: Medieval Literatures and Languages (with distinction) – University of York
2018
BA: Comparative Literature (with honours) – American University of Paris
Publications
2025. “In te non deficit ullum gaudium : lire une affectivité « lesbienne » dans les Symphoniae de Hildegard von Bingen,” Perspectives médiévales, no. 45-46. Doi: 10.4000/13bhk.
2024. “Mouth stuff: How Hildegard and Mechthild feminise God and articulate a discourse of ‘lesbian’ erotics through oral metaphors,” postmedieval, vol. 15, no. 4. Doi: 10.1057/s41280-024-00344-z.
2024. “Feeling Minne: Selfhood and Embodied Emotion in Mechthild von Magdeburg’s Mystical Devotions,” Emotions: History, Culture, Society, vol. 8, no. 2. Doi: 10.1163/2208522X-bja10047.
2023. “Reorienting Disorientation: Hildegard von Bingen’s Depiction of the Female Body as Erotic, Fertile, and Holy”, Medieval Mobilities: Gendered Bodies, Spaces and Movements, eds. J. Bonsall, M. Khoury, B. Price, Palgrave. Co-author: L. Cole. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-12647-5_4.
2022. “Hildegard von Bingen,” Encyclopedia of Medieval Women’s Writing, eds. M. M. Sauer, D. Watt, E. H. McAvoy, Palgrave. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-76219-3_22-1.
2021. “The pastime of the people: reading culture in medieval cities,” ARMA – The Art of Reading in the Middle Ages. Virtual exhibition on Europeana.
2021. “Bookpaths: circulation of manuscripts in the Middle Ages,” ARMA – The Art of Reading in the Middle Ages. Virtual exhibition on Europeana.
https://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/the-art-of-reading-in-the-middle-ages/bookpaths
Conferences & Lectures
2024
« Etudes queer et linguistique cognitive : méthodologie d’une double approche théorique aux textes mystiques des XIIe et XIIIe siècles », Doctoral Seminar : Linguistics, Sorbonne Université, 29 March.
« In te non deficit ullum gaudium : lire une affectivité ‘lesbienne’ dans les Symphoniae de Hildegard von Bingen », LIMA.GE conference: « Les littératures médiévales dans l’atelier du genre », Université Rennes 2, 13-15 March.
“Queer Studies and Cognitive Linguistics: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Reading Twelfth and Thirteenth Century Mystical Texts,” SGS Seminar, University of Surrey, 30 July.
2023
« Etudes lesbiennes en littérature médiévale : quelle pertinence, quelle utilité ? », Mois du genre à la bibliothèque Malesherbes de Sorbonne Université, 7 November.
“A Sensory Linguistics of Interconnected Embodiment and Emotion in Hildegard von Bingen’s Symphoniae,” International Medieval Conference: Leeds, University of Leeds, 3-6 July.
“What Constitutes the ‘Outside’?: ‘Lesbian’ Affection at the Heart of 12th century Spiritual Writing,” The Medieval Church, University of York, 26-27 June.
“Love Wins: the Beginnings of a Theory of the Joyous Queer,” M&LEN Seminar Series: Joy, virtual, 14-16 June.
“‘Queer’ Sensibilities: Affective Discourse in the Devotional Poetry of Hildegard von Bingen and Mechthild von Magdeburg,” Medieval Literary Studies Seminar, Université de Strasbourg, 23 March.
2022
“Feeling Minne: Embodied Emotion in Mechthild von Magdeburg’s Devotions,” Mystical Theology Network Annual Conference: Passions and the Mystical, Brandsma Institut, Nijmegen, 1-3 December.
“Love and Duty: Narrative Construction of the Jedi Knight in SWTOR & the Medieval Knight in Lancelot,” International Medieval Conference: Leeds, University of Leeds, 4-7 July.
“Round Table: Mysticism and Lived Experience,” International Medieval Conference: Leeds, University of Leeds, 4-7 July.
“Feeling Minne: Embodied Emotion in Mechthild von Magdeburg’s Mystical Devotions,” Emotions and the Medieval Self, Háskóli Íslands, 24-27 May.
“'Ires allerreinosten vleisches': the Erotic Virginal Body in Mechthild von Magdeburg,” International Medieval Congress: Kalamazoo, University of Michigan, 9-14 May.
“God is Love: God’s Gender-fluid Person in the Poetry of Hadewijch van Antwerpen”, Gender and Medieval Studies Conference, American University of Paris, 5-7 January.
2021
« God is (Lady) Love: God’s Gender-fluid Person(ification) in the Poetry of Hadewijch van Antwerpen », Archéologies des transidentités : mondes médiévaux, Sorbonne Université, 24-26 November .
Presentation of PhD project at the Philomel Doctoral Workshop, Sorbonne Université, November.
“What is it? A fish?: Interpreting fantastical images in mystical visions,” M&LEN Seminar Series: Mystics and Animals, virtual, October. Co-presenter: A. J. Langley.
“‘Reorienting Disorientation: Hildegard von Bingen’s annus horribilis and its Effect on her Depiction of Female Bodies,” Gender and Medieval Studies Conference, University of Surrey, 10-13 January. Co-presenter: L. Cole.
2020
“Hildegard's Homoerotic Vision of the Female Body,” International Medieval Conference: Leeds, University of Leeds, 6-9 July.
2019
“Homoeroticism in the Devotions of Hildegard von Bingen,” Gender and Medieval Studies Conference, University of Durham, 7-10 January.
Affiliations
Groupe Philomel - gender studies research group based at Sorbonne Université
Research Areas
cognitive linguistics, comparative literature, medieval literature, mystical devotions, gender studies, queer studies, medieval German, Latin
