Dr Andrew Dunning is the R.W. Hunt Curator of Medieval Manuscripts at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, and Hugh Price Fellow in Book History at Jesus College. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa, followed by an MA and PhD in Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto. At the Bodleian, he promotes the preservation and enhancement of one of the world’s most significant collections of medieval manuscripts. Ensuring that these extraordinary books remain accessible to future generations involves collaborating with conservation and digitization teams to maintain their physical condition, conducting research to make them more available and understandable, and inspiring contemporary audiences through public and community engagement with research.
He has held prestigious curatorial and research positions, including as Curator of Medieval Historical Manuscripts at the British Library, a Munby Fellow in Bibliography at Cambridge University Library, a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, and a Postdoctoral Fellow from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He has received grants from the Zeno Karl Schindler Foundation, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Friends of the National Libraries, and Art Fund.
Dr Dunning’s research interests encompass the production, use, and circulation of medieval manuscripts in Europe, especially from the eleventh to fifteenth centuries. He is particularly focused on the innovations of medieval textual communities, examining the collaborative nature of manuscript creation and the transmission of texts across different monastic and scholastic centres. His work also delves into digital manuscript studies, employing computational techniques to enhance the understanding and accessibility of medieval texts. His doctoral research focused on publication practices among the Augustinian canons of Oxford and Cirencester, particularly around the works of Alexander Neckam (1157–1217) on language, theology, and science.
His current book project is The Lives and Miracles of Saint Frideswide (under contract with the Oxford Medieval Texts series, Oxford University Press), which compiles the Latin and Middle English textual evidence for Oxford’s patron saint. He is also directing a project to digitize the Jesus College manuscripts via Digital Bodleian, which will culminate in a comprehensive history of the collection and a detailed catalogue for the Oxford Bibliographical Society.
Dr Dunning has designed and delivered courses on medieval manuscripts, book history, and digital humanities at various institutions, including the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford. His teaching interests encompass palaeography, codicology, diplomatic, medieval Latin literature, the history of the book, and digital manuscript studies.
At the Weston Library, Dr Dunning conducts classes for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, utilising medieval manuscripts from the Jesus College collection. He also conducts workshops and seminars on digital tools for textual scholarship, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional manuscript studies and modern technological advancements.
He supervises master’s and doctoral students in all aspects of medieval manuscripts, their historical contexts, and applications of research within the cultural heritage industry.
As chair to the MSt examination in Medieval Studies, Dr Dunning oversees the programme’s assessment and academic standards.
