Dr. Alexander Bubb, an Associate Professor of English at the University of Roehampton, has been elected as a fellow of the Royal Historical Society (RHS) in recognition of his significant contributions to historical research.
Dr. Bubb was recognised by the RHS for his impactful work in several areas of history, particularly in literary and publishing history of the 19th century, the history of colonial India, and the history of translation. A notable achievement leading to this honour is his 2023 monograph, Asian Classics on the Victorian Bookshelf: Flights of Translation. This book explores how affordable and accessible English translations of major Asian texts—such as the Qur’an, Bhagavad Gita, Shahnameh, Ramayana, and Confucian Analects—reached a broad audience in Victorian Britain, often having a more significant cultural impact than scholarly translations.
Reflecting on the fellowship, Dr. Bubb said, "It was a tremendous surprise to be nominated to the fellowship of the Royal Historical Society this summer, and a very great honour. I originally trained, fifteen years ago, as a historian of colonial South Asia, and though I subsequently moved into literary studies, my work has remained underpinned by the painstaking archival research methods I first learned then. For me, this is a recognition of how hard I have worked to be scrupulous and accurate in my search to recover the forgotten past."
The Royal Historical Society, established in 1868, is a cornerstone of historical scholarship in the UK and beyond. The Society promotes historical research, supports historians through grants, and publishes a journal, the Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. It also houses a significant library of historiographical works in Bloomsbury. More information about the RHS can be found on their official website.
Looking ahead, Dr. Bubb is working on a new book titled Polyglot Century: Victorian Cultures of Multilingualism, which examines how the study of foreign languages became a popular hobby in the 19th century. He is also developing a project focused on South Asian speech in Victorian London, further cementing his contributions to the field of historical and literary scholarship.
At Roehampton, Dr. Bubb is based within the School of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, where he primarily teaches 19th-century literature in the BA English and MA Children's Literature programmes. To find out more about these programmes please visit our website.